Birth: A New Soldier
by shantotto farron
Summary: Yagami Keiko is left all alone after a hollow attack. With a mysterious power barely saving her from death, she is brought back to Sereitei to help her recover. But with nothing left for her outside of Sereitei, what whill she do after receiving an offer to stay and hone her powers? This is the story of her journey towards here future.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys. This is my 4th fanfic, featuring my first ever OC as the main character. Hope you guys enjoy

Chapter 1: Calling

"Run! Just run!" I yelled to my friends as we ran. The creature that had been chasing us for quite some time now was slowly but surely catching up to us. I turned around, but oh damn did I wish I did not. Seeing the look of fear on all the faces of my friends only served to make me more afraid. As I turned and faced the front, I could hear my friends screaming, voices disappearing one by one. No doubt what had happened, but I couldn't lose focus now. I needed to keep my cool and remain confident, not just for myself, but for the others that had made it thus far too.

"Keiko! Heeeeeelp!"

No, not Shinji too. His voice still ringed in my ears even after the monster got to him. My best friend, just gone like that…I fought back the tears and just kept on running, with no destination in mind. None of us could afford to slow down, otherwise we would be dead too.

"Keiko!"

"What!?" We don't have time for small talk! Just run man!"

"Here! Catch!"

As Kenji threw me an object, I quickened my step a bit and leapt forward to retrieve it.

"What's this? A pistol?"

"Yeah, you always were the best shot amongst us…..and I could never get it to fire…..I thought you could figure out how to….It's best if you held on to it."

"Thanks," I said with a hint of sarcasm. I mean, did it matter who held on to something that didn't even work in the first place?

Anyways, after running for what seemed like ages, we came to a small cave at the base of a cliff. Since it was the only shelter available to us, we decided to seek refuge inside it and hide from that monster. We bent over and placed our hands on our thighs, breathing heavily as we tried to catch our breath. Looking around, our group of ten had been reduced to just me, Kenji, Ayane and Hidetoshi.

"What…..what the heck was that!?" Hidetoshi cried and banged his fist repeatedly against the cave walls in anger. He didn't even care that his knuckles were now cracked open and bleeding. What an idiot….

"So many of us…..gone…"

"It's a hollow…..it must be…"

"Yeah," I said. "I think it is. What other kind of monsters could there be lurking?"

"It doesn't matter! It got Shinji!" Hidetoshi yelled. They were brothers, Hidetoshi and Shinji, and they were inseparable. "I'm gonna go get that bastard!"

His anger had got the best of him and he was out of control. Seeing that he was about to exit the cave, I rushed over and grabbed his collar, throwing him over my head and hard against the wall.

"See Hidetoshi…..you've gone and upset the queen," Kenji tried to make a joke out of it. "Just look at that strength!"

"That's our queen alright," Ayane chipped in.

I knew they were just trying to lighten the situation but it was no time for jokes. We were in a dire situation and really, I just wasn't in the mood for it after losing so many in our group. I shot them a look of anger as they dropped their faces to the floor trying to hide their shamed faces after realizing that the joke had really pissed me off. After which, I turned my focus back towards Hidetoshi.

"Fool!" I screamed at him as he covered his left shoulder in pain trying to get off the floor. "Don't be reckless! That thing is out there!"

"Then let me get him!"

"Do you honestly think you can! Look at just how many of us are left!"

"Keiko's right. Control yourself," Ayane said.

"Don't tell me what to do! If that bitch cared for Shinji at all she would be doing the same as me!"

Once again going to his side, I raised my hand and slapped Hidetoshi across the face. It impressed me that he was still standing…..the slap left a mark on his face and it really should have knocked a couple of teeth out of his mouth….

"What the heck was that for!?"

"You idiot! Do you honestly think I don't care…" I cried a bit as my words came out and thought about Shinji. "He was my best friend since we were kids! We've been through a lot together so don't you dare tell me that I don't care!"

"Quiet you guys! Something's coming…" Kenji said as he pointed towards the entrance of the cave. The buzzing of wings could be heard. At first, the sound was soft but it became louder as it approached us.

"Enough!"

"Hidetoshi! Don't!" I yelled and tried to stop him before Ayane grabbed my shoulder and held me back. She shook her head as if to say that he was a lost cause and I reluctantly agreed. If she hadn't stopped me, I might regret my decision later.

Suddenly, the buzzing stopped and a deadly silence filled the cave.

"Hide…..toshi?"

Out of the blue, Hidetoshi's body came flying towards us before it crashed against the wall with such impact that we could actually hear a couple of his bones breaking. He had bite marks all over him and he bled profusely. Furthermore, a sickly black ooze came out from the bite marks as well. Poisoned and apparently, looking somewhat eaten, he was dead.

"RUN!" I yelled as we rushed towards the back of the cave. What rotten luck…just when we thought we were safe. The inside of the cave was so dark and almost no light passed through. Trying to keep our balance, it was almost inevitable that we would fall down once or twice.

"KEIKO! AYANE! AHHHHHHHH!"

"KENJI!"

"AYANE!" I screamed. "Just run!" I still had to keep my cool and prevent Ayane from losing her head too. The hollow had gotten to Kenji and only two of us remained. Then, after a few minutes, I couldn't hear Ayane's heavy breathing anymore…..she was gone too….She didn't scream because she knew it may have made me more worried and I would lose my focus and die too…. But now….I was all alone….Running as fast as I could, I figured my luck would run out sooner or later. Alas, I ran straight into a wall and landed hard on my backside. Then, the hollow's roar got louder. Turning around, I could see a pair of glowing red eyes floating in mid-air and hear the sound of wings buzzing, it must have been an insect of some sort.

"Shit….what am I going to do…" I thought to myself as the pair of red eyes came nearer and nearer towards me. I began to panic a little as drops of perspiration fell down the side of my face. I was about to give up when I felt something in my pocket. Pulling it out, it was the gun that Kenji had passed me earlier….but what good was a gun that couldn't fire? Praying for a miracle, I tried to aim where I thought that hollow's head might be, hoping to kill it in a single shot. Before I could take my aim though, the hollow roared and I felt it approach me at a frightening pace. Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger. To my surprise, I thought I heard a voice saying something like "I thought you were never going to use me." Then again, it might have just been my imagination in the heat of the moment. I definitely did hear a loud bang though as a blue light came out from the pistol. Before I knew it, the hollow let out a high pitched roar, sounding like it was in pain. After struggling a little, the pair of red eyes fell to the floor and the buzzing of the hollow's wings stopped. Had I killed it? I believe I did….But the hollow did a number on me as well. Feeling my neck, I felt a burning sensation coming from it and it was moist and a strange odor came from it…..I fell to the floor and I couldn't feel my body at all….the hollow had poisoned me like it did to the others…I was sure I was going to die but then, I heard a voice.

"Quick! There she is! Get her to safety immediately!"

It was the voice of a woman…..but who was she?

"She killed the hollow too! Amazing for someone so young…"

"Taichou, this isn't the right time of the place!"

"Quite right…let's move!"

I remembered feeling a bunch of guys lift me off the floor as they sped on out of the cave. Throughout the journey, I still couldn't feel a thing as I lay down on a stretcher and stared at the night sky. Before I knew it, we had reached a large area, with buildings of sorts. They entered a room that resembled an infirmary as they lay me down on what looked like a medical bed. And then, the woman spoke again. This time though, I could actually see her face. A short woman with blue hair, it was long though she kept it short and tidy by braiding it up with covers that looked like ropes. She seemed leaned and fit and wore a white haori…..a shinigami? Was I in Sereitei?

"Soi Fon taichou….who is this cute little girl?"

Soi Fon…so that was her name…at least I think it was…..by now my senses were really messed up and I couldn't even tell left from right….but she was addressed as taichou…she was a captain level shinigami?

"Some girl poisoned by the hollow I was chasing…..but enough questions…..Can you save her Unohana taichou?"

"Don't worry, she'll be fine. Thank goodness you brought her here quickly though….just a few minutes later and she wouldn't be able to make it!"

"She is one lucky bitch."

"Yup. I'll let you know how she is after the treatment alright? Go get some rest."

"Ok, thanks Unohana taichou."

As Soi Fon exited the room, I witnessed Unohana…..or whatever her name was, smile at me as she took a syringe and injected some liquid into me.

"Rest well, little girl."

Before I knew it, I drifted off into a deep sleep.

That's the end of Chapter 1! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you guys like it so far. Do let me know how I'm doing so I can improve! I know I didn't give a detailed description of how Keiko is supposed to look like but I promise that'll come in the next chapter so please do stick around for the rest of the story!


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the delay I hope you guys still continue to read! Well, here's Chapter 2!

Chapter 2: The Choice

I woke up, feeling a bit dizzy from whatever that Unorara or Unobaba taichou did to me. Looking down, I realized that they had removed my dress and made me wear a medical gown. I figured they were trying to help me recover from the tiny spec of memory I had of the shinigamis conversation before I blacked out…..It was not long before I realized that the burning sensation was gone and I could control my body once more. It would seem that the poison had been removed from within me. Must have been the work of the shinigamis and I just had to thank them. But where do I start? I was in unfamiliar territory. I stared around me only to find myself in a large room with bright lights. Medical equipment of sorts laid around the place and the bed I got up from was in a total mess….they must have worked their asses off to save me. As I approached a set of curtains, I could hear people talking. It sounded like that Soi Fon from before and that Unorara….or Unozaza or whatever her name was, were having a chat. I needed to know what was going on so, quietly, I approached the curtains and squatted down.

"147cm tall, purple hair, and big blue eyes. A round face with cute little cheek bones showing through the skin. She doesn't seem to be superbly feet though, thin arms and slender legs as well…..very pretty girl she is…"

If this Unolala person continued about my figure and how I looked for any longer, I would have thought that she might be a lesbian.

"Unohana taichou, please, I did not come here just to listen to you record your findings down."

"Apologies Soi Fon taichou."

"So…..is she…"

"Well….its highly unlikely but nonetheless possible…."

"But how could one be born without Sereitei noticing?"

"That's the thing….we have to ask her for ourselves. The sedative should be wearing off by now….let's go see her."

Crap! Crap! They were coming and I couldn't let them know I was eavesdropping on them. Hurriedly, I stood up and rushed back towards the medical bed and lay down, pretending as if I was still unconscious. Then, they approached.

"Still asleep…"

"The medicine hasn't worn off yet."

They continued chatting and I just couldn't wait any longer, so, I decided to 'wake up'.

"Ugh….."

"Unohana taichou, she's waking up."

"Ugh…..," I feigned a grunt to try and convince them that I was asleep the whole time. I sat up and covered my head to act as if I was disoriented. "Where…where am I? And….who are you guys?"

"Wow…..can't believe you actually survived….the poison was one of the most lethal I've ever had to deal with….and you were pretty banged up when you were brought to me….."

"Unohana taichou, shouldn't we introduce ourselves first?"

"Oh….quite right…..my name's Unohana….Retsu Unohana."

"I'm Soi Fon, and you are?"

Finally, I had their names. Thankfully though, they couldn't see through my act and so I continued on.

"Keiko…Yagami Keiko."

"Keiko huh? What a cute name," Unohana said with a smile.

Lesbian…..definitely a lesbian was this Unohana person. Anyways, I had more or less an idea of where I was but just to confirm my suspicions, I put forth the question.

"Where am I? And who exactly…..are you guys?"

"Well," Unohana said. "I'm sure you can tell by now, we're shinigamis. I'm captain of the 4th division, and so Soi Fon over there is captain of the 2nd. And as for where we are…."

"Let me guess," I raised my palm and showed it to Unohana. I didn't need a long detailed explanation. "Sereitei."

"That's right."

"So…how long before I can leave?" I didn't want to be here for any longer than necessary.

"Well…..we would like to ask you something first."

"What is it?" I said with a look of irritation on my face.

"The pistol you used to kill the hollow…do you know where it came from?"

At that, my head faced the floor as tears started to fall down my cheek as I recalled how Kenji tossed me the weapon as we were running for our lives. But Unohana's question did arouse my curiousity…..

"My friend…he gave it to me….before…before….."

Just then, Unohana stopped me. She could clearly tell I was upset with my tears falling onto the floor. Heck, I didn't even noticed that a puddle had formed….how embarrassing…..

"It's alright child," Unohana came forward and hugged me as she rubbed her hand up and down on my back to comfort me…..lesbian…..definitely a lesbian…..

"One last thing though…"

"What…what is it?"

"The pistol….do you know how you managed to get it to work?"

Now that she mentioned it, it never occurred to me before as to how I managed to fire off the pistol. Kenji also said that he never managed to get it to work…..so…..did I do something different?

"No…..I do not…..Kenji…..also mentioned he could never get it to work…"

"I see. Soi Fon taichou, you know what to do."

"Yeah, don't worry, I got this."

"What's going on?" I asked as I switched my focus between the captains.

"I'm going to be taking care of you for the time being," Soi Fon said. "Until you're fully recovered. Please, this way," Soi Fon gestured the way out of the infirmary that we were in.

"Al….alright….." I replied as I paused in my steps and took one last look at Unohana still smiling at me before I left.

As Soi Fon brought me to her barracks, I was impressed by the infrastructure of Sereitei. Buildings of all sorts rose, and the Soukyouku hill shot up high into the sky. Shinigamis of all sorts were up and about training and what not, yelling out war cries as they practiced their maneuvers. I was thoroughly impressed with their regimentation, but one thought couldn't escape my mind. What did Soi Fon want with me? It wasn't before long that I got my answer.

As we approached her room, Soi Fon sat down on a chair behind her desk as she shot me a glare. Puzzled was I as she gave me this look and I just stood there keeping my mouth shut.

"Keiko," Soi Fon began to speak. "You're probably wondering why I called you here."

"Yeah, no kidding," I blew my fringe as my eyes darted across her room, noticing in the process how Soi Fon hung pictures of black cats all over the place. Her favourite animal perhaps….

"Well, before I continue, here's your gun back," she said as she tossed me the pistol.

"Thanks."

"Well….here's the deal….We tried firing the gun right there but to no avail….but seeing as you managed to kill that hollow with it…we suspect that, and I cant believe that I'm saying this, you might be a shinigami yourself."

"AHAHAHAHA," I held my belly trying to contain my laughter but my efforts were futile. Me? A shinigami? What a joke. "You're kidding right? No offense Soi Fon, but are you high?"

"I wish I was but it's the truth," Soi Fon said with a stern look after which she faced the floor.

I could tell now that she was serious so I calmed myself down a bit and paid serious attention to what she said.

"When Unohana was still taking care of you, her scans revealed that a rather large amount of reiatsu was flowing through your body. And your flow of reiatsu is….unusual….so to speak."

"What do you mean?"

"Even when a shinigami isn't battling," Soi Fon continued. "He or she usually lets out a small of reiatsu out of the body which can be detected. But when you came to us, neither I nor Unohana taichou could get a read of yours. It was untraceable unless we hooked you up to a special machine."

"You've got to be kidding me," I said with a hint of disbelief in my voice. As I listened on, the story got more and more far-fetched. It was just not possible. "How can I, a girl with no history of interacting with shinigamis, possibly be one? It's impossible."

"Well, think what you want but Captain Commander's orders are orders. He wants us to try and convince you to stay with us. It's possible to hone your skills as a shinigami. With what we've seen so far from your natural ability to hide your reiatsu, you'd be perfect to join my division."

"Yeah….right…..why would I even consider joining Sereitei as a shiniagmi?"

"Well…..we could provide you with accommodation and such…..and I don't mean to sound like a bitch but…what have you got outside of Sereitei if you chose not to join us?"

What Soi Fon said struck a nerve of mine, but what she said was somewhat true as well. No friends…..no family…..no place to call home…As skeptical as I was and as much as I did not want to, I wasn't left much of a choice. I could choose to spend the rest of my life as a shinigami, or go back to what life previously was for me, a life where I had to constantly fear if I was going to be alive when I woke up. And so , reluctantly, I agreed.

"…I'll join you guys…."

"You will? Splendid! I'll have to report this to captain commander immediately! But first, let me get things sorted out for you. Follow me."

Following Soi Fon out of her room, I was disgusted with the way how members of Soi Fon's squad stared at me like I was completely helpless. I may just be a little girl but by no means does that me the weakest. If anyone crossed me, they'd get what's coming to them. Finally, we reached our destination.

"Here," Soi Fon said as she opened the doors, revealing a new room that was furnished with new sets of bunk beds and various closets and lockers. "The old bunk was beginning to smell and a couple of pipes burst. So here's where you'll be staying for the duration. A couple more of new guys will be joining momentarily as well."

"I see…thanks….Soi Fon taichou…" It just didn't sound right…taichou…..I was just only formally introduced to this woman and yet I had to greet her as a superior…..damn it all…

"Haha. Taichou…I have to get used to you calling me that…..Anyways, relax here for a bit and I'll be back to check on you soon." With that, my new captain left me alone and headed off.

Having not a thing to do, I lay down on the nearest bed and stared at the top. So began my life as a shinigami. As much as I didn't want to, it was the best I had. Contemplating on my future, I almost dozed off when suddenly, I heard a deep voice.

"You've made the right choice."

I was rather alarmed by the suddenness of it all and I sat up, took my gun and pointed it in front of me.

"Who goes there?" I yelled as my eyes darted across the room trying to locate the voice. But not a single soul was in sight. I guess it was just my imagination.

Determining that I was in no danger, I lay back down on my bed and thought about what was to come. But really, damn it all, not even was I done with my first day as a shinigami and I'm already hearing voices. Guess it was the fatigue getting to me. Nonetheless, I thought long and hard about what was to come next. How was Soi Fon really like? Was training going to be tough? My friends…..would they support the idea if they were still alive? Many questions passed through my mind before I succumbed to my tiredness and drifted off into a sound sleep.

Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far I know there's not much action going on but it'll come soon! Lemme know what you guys feel about this piece!


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for reading so far! Here's Chapter 3!

Chapter 3: The Encounter

"Get up! Get up!" some fat douche yelled as he came barging into the bunk. "  
Training starts now!"

Who the heck was this guy…but I guess he must have been rather high seated within the division judging by the way he was commanding us.

"Woah…." some guy behind me commented. "So this is Omaeda, the Vice-Captain. He really is a prick."

Ahh….so some fat prickly douche was going to be my vice-captain….how wonderful.

"Get your lazy backsides off the damn beds and change into your training kit! You guys are late! Soi Fon taichou has been waiting for ages already!"

Upon hearing this, we were rather afraid. Here we were, the newest amongst the division, late on the first official day of training. Soi Fon taichou seemed like she was the type who couldn't tolerate any form of ill-discipline so there was no telling how we would get punished. Anyways, we hurriedly changed into the required attire and rushed down to the training area. But I was rather mad at what I saw when I reached the damned place…..not a single soul in sight except for our dea vice-captain who was laying down on a beanbag chair stuffing his mouth with chips…disgusting…how could a person like that ever make it to the rank of a vice-captain?

"HAHAHAHA!" Omaeda laughed. I couldn't bear to address him by his rank. "Sorry, I just had to do that. I love messing with the new guys…..you should see the look on your faces! HAHAHAHAHA."

I was about to step out and give him a tight slap but before I could do that though, Soi Fon taichou appeared behind him without him noticing. She didn't seem like she was in a good mood though, with the frown she wore coupled with eyes that showed nothing but anger.

"Hahahaha. Thank goodness taichou isn't here. Otherwise, I might have been in the infirmary by now."

Just then, some of those present couldn't help but let out a chuckle as we covered our mouths trying to contain our laughter. He had totally no idea that he was going to have his ass handed to him.

"She's behind me isn't she?"

"Omaeda….." Soi Fon taichou said as she intentionally deepened her voice. "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT TO MESS WITH THEM!"

Her face was red with fury now and I knew she was fierce, but not this fierce. She aimed a kick where Omaeda's testicles should have been and judging from the impact of the kick and by the way Omaeda flew up vertically several metres into the air, I was pretty sure that it was physically impossible for him to have a father's day.

"Omaeda-san!" yelled the medical team as they witnessed Omaeda cringing in pain as he rolled all over the floor covering his crotch. They rushed over to place him on a stretcher but Soi Fon taichou stopped them.

"Don't, leave him," Soi Fon taichou commanded.

"But taichou…"

"I said leave him," the captain said more sternly this time.

"Understood…sorry Omaeda."

Okay. Note taken. Never make Soi Fon taichou angry. Seeing how ruthless she was, I was not about to give her a reason to be angry again.

"Alright guys," Soi Fon taichou puffed as she placed her hands on her hips. "Apologies for the delay. I'm sure you all know by now that I'm your captain, Soi Fon. And that useless piece of trash over there on the floor is your Vice-Captain."

"Tai…chou…" Omaeda moaned.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Soi Fon yelled and kicked Omaeda right across the jaw, knocking a few teeth out and spewing some blood in the process. After which, he stopped moving. He should have been dead but Soi Fon taichou couldn't be that heartless….could she?

"Sorry again. Anyways, let's begin training. Give me seven laps around the track. Go!"

Okay, a warm up run. Nothing I couldn't handle yet. But I was surprised though. All the other newbies were older and seemed fitter than I. Yet, I came in first for the run, a full two minutes before the second guy came in. I was barely tired at all and yet the others seemed totally exhausted…well, no matter. I couldn't get complacent now.

"Good job guys. Now for some combat training….But first, Yagami Keiko, please step out."

I was rather stunned as to why the captain called me. I shot her a puzzled look and she shot a stern one back at me, as if to say that I didn't hear that wrong. As such, I responded.

"Yes ma'am!"

I hurried out of the file and approached the captain.

"Good. The rest, Omaeda will take care of you. Omaeda!" yelled the captain as she stared at Omaeda's still unconscious body. "Oh….right….uh….okay guys. My third seat will take over the remainder of the training for you guys. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" we replied in unison. After which, Soi Fon taichou directed me elsewhere and so I followed her.

She led me towards a deeper part of Sereitei, a forested area suited for stealth training. I could understand why she would bring me here, since she did specialize in stealth and what not. But still…why me? Of all the other newbies, I was no better than the rest of them, or so at least I thought. A lot of questions I had for Soi Fon taichou, but just as I was about to speak, she stopped walking.

"Keiko," she said. "I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you here."

"Well, to tell you the truth ma'am, I am indeed puzzled."

"I'm not surprised," Soi Fon taichou said as she approached me. However, from the corner of my eye, I could see a sharp object being thrown from the top of a tall tree towards her. Instinctively, I yelled. "TAICHOU! WATCH OUT!" as I drew my gun and took aim. I fired my weapon at it and hit the incoming object dead on as it fell to the ground.

"Taichou," I breathed heavily. My captain could have been seriously hurt. "Are you alright?" I asked to see if she was indeed alright. However, I was rather surprised to see that she was smiling back at me.

"Wow…," Soi Fon taichou said sounding impressed.

"Taichou…..?"

"That's come accuracy you've got."

"I'm sorry," I said as I shook my head in confusion. "I don't understand."

"The thing that you fired at was actually a throwing knife I had my 4th seat aim at me. I knew it was coming and I just wanted to see how good you were with your weapon."

"Taichou….so this was all just a test?"

"Yes. That's right. And you exceeded my expectations."

"But why?"

"Mainly, because you are a gunner, you need to be accurate when you take your aim, especially so when you are under pressure. And take your aim you did."

"But why can't I train with the others?"

"Well, it's not so much so that you can't, you will in the future, trust me. This is just to give you a taste of personally training with me first before I train you personally in hand to hand combat in the future. It's precisely because you are a gunner, you're not like other shinigamis who wield zanpaktous and therefore, there is a need for you to be superior than others at hand to hand combat, just in case you don't have the time to draw and fire your gun."

"I see….." I said with a sigh as I understood my captain's intentions, but I was still not entirely fine with it.

"Does this bother you?"

"Well, "I couldn't lie. It was awkward to have a captain personally train you. "I don't want others to see it as…I don't know….preferential treatment?"

"I see…..you're uncomfortable with this."

"YES!" I said loudly and widened my eyes to make it obvious to her that it did indeed bother me.

"I'm sorry but I will continue to use this forest to train you and only you. You'll have to bear with it."

"Fine," I pouted and puckered my lips to blow my fringe.

"Well, to make sure that it wasn't a fluke, try hitting the targets in this next exercise. We'll start hand to hand combat training next time."

After she had finished, target boards started appearing rapidly across my immediate front. One by one, they fell as soon as they appeared. Some were harder to aim at though, requiring me to tumble and roll to get into a better position. Nonetheless, I felt like I was on fire as I had hit every target dead on with a bulls-eye. I turned and focused my attention towards Soi Fon taichou and gave her a look as if to say, 'Are you impressed?' I have to admit that I did so rather proudly.

"Not bad" she said. "Quick reflexes and good accuracy. You don't even seem to be breaking a sweat. Your judgment is still pretty poor though."

"What do you mean ma'am?"

She stepped aside and I was stunned by what I saw. Hundreds of target boards still stood upright behind me and that was when I realized that I had only focused on what was in front of me, not paying attention elsewhere.

"Oh damn…" I said in shock…..serves me right for being too cocky….

"Don't worry, that's enough for today, we'll resume training tomorrow," Soi Fon taichou said as she tapped me on the shoulder to reassure me that everything was okay. "Remember though, you have to be aware of your surroundings all the time. Otherwise, you may be caught off guard and you would be in serious trouble if it were a powerful enemy."

"Understood ma'am," I said as I bowed my head in respect for what she taught me.

"Good. Now go ahead and rest. Can't tire you out too much on the first day."

"Alright, thanks so much Taichou."

"No problem. Now if you'd excuse me, I've got to meet somebody." After which, she upped and left. Judging by the way she shunpoed off, she looked as if though she was in a hurry. Then again, it could just have been her superior speed. Regardless, I still had to make my own way back. I didn't really have much to do so I decided to head back to my bunk and have a nap, may be a puff or two of a cigarette before that.

Upon reaching, I found that the rest of the newbies were already resting.

"Time for that cigarette now," I thought to myself. After grabbing my cigarette pack and a lighter, I went out to the balcony and lit a stick. Placing it inside my mouth, I started to huff and puff, blowing out the smoke in patterns.

I paced up and down as thoughts started to flood my mind.

"Sigh…I really don't like this personal training thing….I'm no better than the rest….it'll be real awkward when I head back to the rest….damn it…..ah…am I….special and that's why? Naaahhh…..that can't be it….."

There was so many questions going on in my mind, yet I hardly had any answers. Finishing the last puff of my cigarette, I headed for the shows before heading off to bed. Undressing myself, I stepped in and turned the shower on as I let the ice cold water flow down the top of my head and down my chest. It felt refreshing but afterwards, it got real uncomfortable. For some reason, I felt that someone was watching me. Yet, when I checked, no one was in sight. Really, the last thing I needed with all the questions I had was some pervert staring at me while I was naked in the shower. Bloody pedophile….I was only 75 years old, younger than that captain of the 10th division…Hitsugaya….or whatever his name was…..He was a 125 or so…But seriously….if there was indeed someone watching, I was sure to beat him to a pulp. Before finishing, that was when things got really werid. I heard a deep voice, that same voice I heard that night before I went to bed.

"How are you Keiko?" the voice said.

"What the heck? Where are you? You pervert!" I yelled as my eyes widened in disgust and in anger as I slammed the shower door open to try and locate the person whom the voice belonged to. Again, no one was in sight.

"Don't be afraid," the voice said. "I mean you no harm."

Strangely enough, I could tell that the voice was indeed telling the truth. For some unfathomable reason, it seemed reassuring. It was weird, it was a gut feeling I had that the voice was friendly…so I went ahead with it.

"Alright….." I stuttered as my eyes darted across the shower room to try and locate the voice once more. "Please…..show yourself."

"Don't worry, it replied. "You'll see me soon."

After that, the voice just disappeared. It was all so sudden.

"Hey….you there?" I asked to see if the voice had indeed disappeared.

There was no answer. Great…..just great…with all the questions I had the last thing I needed was some weird voice following me around…at least the voice was a friend though…..but still….whose voice was it though? I pondered for a little while longer before I was tired by it all. Finally outing on some clothes, I headed back for my bunk before I crashed on my bed and fell fast asleep.

Later that night….

Okay…..I was sure I was dreaming…one moment I was sleeping in my bunk…..and the next I was in my shinigami robe at a shooting range? What the heck was going on? To make things worse, it seemed like I was alone in this place. Well, wherever I was, I needed to leave as soon as I could. I walked around and searched for an exit but couldn't find one. As I approached the end of one of the firing lanes, I looked up and saw a banner. I was stunned by what I saw…..it was a pure white banner with my name written in pink-(my favourite colour)- with colourful painted baby animals making up the rest of the decor of the banner.

"Welcome….Yagami Keiko?"

That's what the banner said…and whoever designed this banner clearly knew me well. I mean, it couldn't be pure coincidence that the wordings were written in my favourite colour and that my favourite animals were cutely painted on. As I stared at the banner, I heard footsteps approaching. Turning around, I saw a man clothed in bright white. He looked leaned and his muscles were rather defined. I couldn't see his face though, it was hidden by the way he wore his large cowboy hat that he tilted forward to cover his face. I could see that he too was a gunner like me, with a rifle holstered around his waist.

"Hello, Keiko."

That….that voice! It was the same voice that spoke to me that night and in the shower earlier! So this was whom the voice belonged to…..but who exactly was this man?

"So it's you…"

"Yeah it's me…"

"Who….who are you?"

The man let out a laugh before answering.

"Haha, you have to find out for yourself."

"What the heck are you talking about? I find it pretty unfair you know…you seemingly knowing everything about me and yet I know nothing about you."

"I'm sorry but really…..I can't do anything about it."

"Then how do I find out your name?"

"That'll be up to you…..but you will find out who I am…soon I assure you."

"Al….alright…..thanks for the welcome gift….."

"You're welcome. Glad you like it."

I still couldn't see the entirety of his face but I could tell that he was smiling and I felt that he was rather elated. I'm not sure why though…..all I did was thank him.

"Well, we'll be meeting again soon I guess. Bye bye for now," the man said as he turned around and started to walk away.

"Wait! Come back!" I tried chasing after him but I was soon blinded by a flash of light and the next thing I knew, I woke back up on my bed.

So…..it was indeed a dream…..but what was that all about…..who was that man? I didn't know who he was yet I could tell that he was a friend….Anyways, I got up and opened the door and it was already morning. I couldn't believe that I slept that long, slept past even dinner the previous night! I must have been really tired…After rubbing the dirt out of my eyes, a bunk mate of mine tapped me on my shouder.

"Hey, it's time for breakfast."

"Oh, thanks Nagasawa."

"Don't mention it."

Leaving my bunk, I went to the washroom to freshen up and get dressed as I prepared for the day ahead with so many new questions on my mind.

That's the end of Chapter 3! Hope you guys liked it. What do you think of Keiko so far and…who was the man in white she saw in her dreams? Let me know what you guys think!


	4. Chapter 4

Here's the next chapter guys! Do enjoy

Chapter 4: Next Phase

It had been a week since my encounter with the man in white. I haven't seen him after that. It was really awkward. I felt like I knew him and met him before the incident, I just didn't remember when. Nonetheless, in the past week, Soi Fon taichou continued personally training me. I have to say I was very satisfied with the results. My judgment regarding my surroundings had improved drastically, and I had hit all the targets she had set ups she had designed for me. Strange though, whenever I wielded my pistol, my thoughts always went back to the man in white….Anyways, it was hand to hand combat that proved difficult. I couldn't keep up with the movements, they were just so fast! Especially when they were being performed by the best hand to hand combatant in all of Sereitei. Soi Fon taichou was graceful yet fierce in her movements, striking her targets with horrifying precision.

"Uh…..could you show that to me again?" I asked as I shot Soi Fon taichou a puzzled look. I was thankful that she was patient with me…I didn't want to be a burden like Omaeda.

"Alright, watch carefully. First, step in and raise your hand to block an oncoming punch. Lean in with force by shifting your body weight to lessen the impact, then you lean in your free hand to deliver a hard straight," said my captain as she demonstrated once again the most basic of drills.

"Uh…..alright….."

It was really a simple drill, yet I couldn't complete it. No matter who she assigned me as a sparring partner, I couldn't keep up. My partner would get a hit in on me first and I was getting battered and bruised. Marks appeared on my face and hands and although I wasn't really tired, it started to hurt every time I moved a muscle. Soon, I found myself receiving a hard cross from Nagasawa and I landed with my back crashing against the ground with a loud thud.

"Nagasawa, stop." Soi Fon taichou yelled. She could tell that I had had enough.

"Yes ma'am. Sorry Keiko."

With all of my fours on the ground, I shot a glare at Nagaswa and spat out some blood to show my disgust. Every time I failed at training, I felt as if though people would continue to look down on me. I couldn't let them treat me like the small girl I was and I knew I had to get better.

"Are you alright?" Soi Fon taichou asked with a look of concern on her face.

I hung my head down. I couldn't face her…I mean with all the effort she spent on me, I felt as if I had to pay her back some way and my performances during combat training wasn't doing it.

"Well…don't worry about it….I'm sure you'll be fine next week's skill assessment," the captain said in a reassuring tone.

Oh yeah…the assessment next week…..my combat skills weren't ready yet…failure was surely heading my way.

"Alright guys," the captain said. "That's it for today. Hit the showers!"

"Yes ma'am."

Throughout the walk back to the bunk area, I couldn't help but think of my performances during training. I just couldn't keep up. My small body frame wasn't meant for this…..I was really starting to lose faith in myself and I was rather upset. Well….maybe I just needed a break. So I decided to shower and just hit the hay and sleep my worries away.

A Few Hours Later

"Keiko…Keiko…..wake up," a voice spoke to me while I was still asleep.

"Wha….wha…..what do you want?" I said as I let out a huge yawn.

"It's time to move out."

"What are you talking about?" I said more consciously this time. As I sat up from my bed to rub the dirt off my eyes, I opened them only to find myself looking directly into the eyes of Soi Fon taichou.

"Ma'am!" I yelled in shock as I grabbed my pillow and hugged it tightly towards my face to hide my embarrassed look. How could I speak like that to the captain….

"Shh…..not so loud….you don't want to wake the others. Get changed into your training attire and meet me downstairs."

"Al….alright."

I stumbled out of bed and got dressed as the captain ordered. She wanted to train me at this hour? At 4am in the morning? Well….I appreciated her help but I was in no mood for this. But how could I say no to the captain? So I met her downstairs as she requested and she brought me out of Sereitei. She was silent throughout the trip and it was just awkward as we walked for what seemed like ages. Finally, we entered an old forest where a huge waterfall stood high above the trees. I wasn't even in the water yet I could feel that it was icy cold as the wind blew in my direction.

"We're here," she said.

"Ma'am, why are we here?" I asked politely.

"To train of course."

"But….." before I could finish, she rushed over to my side and out her finger on my lips.

"Don't underestimate yourself. Sometimes, you've just got to do it."

"O….o….okay," I stuttered at my captains gesture.

We trained till dawn. Soi Fon taichou guided me through each motion of each strike, and with her assisting me by guiding my hands through the punches and my feet through the kicks. I felt that I could do anything. I felt her energy and faith in me and this made me ever more confident. She ever sparred with me to test if I was getting the moves down. Of course she didn't go all out on me, otherwise I'd probably be dead. She just ensured that she made the right movements to block any oncoming simple maneuvers. I was glad with how she smiled with each passing moment. As breakfast approached, she requested me to do something rather odd.

"Keiko?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Go under the waterfall and meditate."

"What?"

"Just do it alright? It'll calm you down and help you relax…just like she asked me to all those years ago…"

I believe that the last part of her sentence wasn't meant for her to hear….more like she was having a conversation with herself. Because right after she said that, she stared at the water and smiled. Her adorable smile which reflected in the crystal clear water made me realise for the first time that my captain was actually rather cute, and she could be whenever she smiled….too bad people always judged her by her constant stern looking face….maybe she didn't have any reason to be happy and that was why she was always stern looking…..Anyways, I did what she asked me to do and I approached the base of the waterfall and sat at its base crossed-legged and placed the palms of my hands on my laps.

"Its…..its….its co cold!" I screamed.

My captain smiled again….I really did wonder why she was smiling…..but it wasn't any of my business…..

"Don't worry," she said gleefully. "You'll get used to it."

It was hard to hear what she was saying with the icy cold water cascading down rapidly upon the top of my head with such force. It was quite painful but I had to bear with it to be strong. The crashing sound of the water sort of muted out any other sound being made as well. Anyways, I focused all I had into this meditating thing…it felt….well…relaxing. I recollected all good memories that I had and I soon found myself lost in the serenity of my thoughts. Soon, I entered an alternate state.

"Hmm…can she make it….it is about time I suppose…"

"Hey there!" I said to the man in white. I was in my dream state again. He seemed as if he was lost in his thoughts, judging by the way he was pacing up and down talking to himself.

"Keiko!" he said as he immediately rushed to my front. What he did next took me by surprise. Opening up his hands, he wrapped me in a large embrace. "I missed you…..are you alright?"

Strange, I didn't even know the man's name yet I did not resist his hug. I felt a strange sort of attraction towards him. He was definitely a friend but….who exactly was he?

"I'm….I'm fine…"I stuttered as I was still shocked by his sudden gesture.

"Good….good to hear…..do you think you'll be ready for the assessment?"

"I guess…although I am a bit nervous…"

"Don't worry…..I'll be there for you."

"You'll be there?" the mans question got me thinking. "What do you mean?"

"Haha," he let out a small laugh. "You still haven't figured it out yet?"

"Uh…I guess not…"

"Well, you yourself know that you feel attracted to me…but when was this attraction at its strongest?"

Now that he got me thinking, I always thought about him whenever I was training with my pistol…..Not only did I have faith in myself, I also had utmost faith in my weapon that it wouldn't ever fail…..which would mean that….

"That means…you're….you're my weapon spirit?" I opened my eyes wide and my jaw dropped as I came to the sudden realization who this man in white was.

"Yes! That's correct!" the man hugged me again in joy that I had finally realized the truth.

"Wow…" was all I could muster as I was filled with awe. So this man was my weapon spirit all along…..that's why I felt attracted to him and thought about him all the time when I was using my weapon….

"Haha, you're shocked," my weapon spirit commented.

"Well duh….I've been wondering who you were all this time…." Now I knew who he was and so I just had to ask.

"May I finally have your name?" I shot him an inquisitive look.

"Hahaha," my weapon spirit laughed. "Just call me," he paused to add a dramatic effect. "Sharpshooter."

So this man, Sharpshooter, was my weapon spirit. Finally after all this time my questions about him were answered in an instant. He also finally lifted his cowboy hat up, revealing a man who had an oval face with a sharp nose couple with big brown , beautiful eyes and lips that were just oh so attractive. He had long, sky blue hair that stretched down his back towards the mid-point of his spine. He was a really, really handsome looking dude…too bad he was my weapon spirit, otherwise I would totally ask him out.

"So Sharpshooter…" I asked. "How long have you existed….exactly?"

"Ever since you were born."

"Wow…..that long?"

"I see now…that's why the pistol never worked with Kenji or Asane or any of the others….."

"That's right."

"Keiko," Sharpshooter suddenly called me. "Are you ready for the assessment?" he asked looking concerned.

"I guess," I said. "Now that I know who you are and with Soi Fon taichou guiding me, I feel like I'm ready for anything."

"You're confident, that's good to see."

"Heck yeah I'm confident!" I placed my hands on my hips and widened my face to give the most arrogant of smiles.

"Hahaha, you're so cute when you do that," Sharpshooter said as he let out a giggle. "Alright then, I'll take my leave now."

"Hey wait, I will see you again yes?"

"I'll always be here Keiko, don't worry."

As he turned away and began to walk, he paused to turn and approach me.

"Before I forget, use these words whenever you're in trouble."

With that, he cupped his hand round my ear and whispered a few words. After which, I stood looking dumbfounded as I thought about what those words could mean. Regardless though, I had trust in Sharpshooter so I kept those words in mind. As he distanced himself from me to take his leave, Sharpshooter walked and became engulfed in a large blue light before I too, experienced the same phenomenon.

"Keiko….you okay?"

"Wha…..what?"

"I said, are you okay?"

After the second time of asking, my eyes shot open as I awakened from my inner state. I widened my eyes to focus, only to find Soi Fon taichou staring back at me. She look slightly worried, maybe because of how long I spent in my dream state. Heck, I may have been there for a few hours or so, it was impossible to keep track of time.

"How long do you expect me to wait for an answer?"

"Sorry ma'am," I stood up and bowed my head in apology. "I'm just….stunned."

"Stunned?"

"The meditating thing, it really worked. I feel really refreshed."

"Oh? Is that so? Well, I'm glad you enjoyed the experience." Soi Fon taichou said as she smiled at me, a smile as if to say 'I told you so.'

"Yeah, I thoroughly did."

"That's good to hear. You can try it out next time if you want."

"Understood ma'am!"

With that, she turned around and walked off as I followed close behind. Well, I didn't tell her about my meeting with Sharpshooter, there was no point in me telling her, or so I thought. Besides, I wanted to keep it a secret. After arriving back at the quarters of the 2nd division, Soi Fon taichou saw me back to my buk area before she spoke to me.

"Keiko, you've made progress in your combat skills. However, don't expect it to be this easy during the assessment."

"Understood ma'am."

"Good. I'll still be training you in the next few days before the assessment so be prepared."

"Alright….thanks so much for the help."

"You're welcome. Now go and get some rest, you need it."

Before I could thank my captain again, she turned around and shunpoed away in a flash. Damn was she fast. My hair had been totally messed up from the wind that blew in my direction when she shunpoed away. With nothing left to do, I took a warm shower before returning to bed to get a well-deserved rest.

Few Days Later (Assessment Day)

The past few days, Soi Fon taichou had been working me hard. Well, my hand to hand combat have definitely improved, still it couldn't come close to hers. Nonetheless, she said I had to focus for the assessment if I wanted to pass, because she told me that, frankly, none of the newbies were ready. Yet she said, that no one had ever passed on their first try. Well, so it didn't really matter if I had passed right? Still, I knew I had to put up a good showing to make sure that one looked down on me.

"Attention, attention newbies of Division 2," Soi Fon taichou announced over the PA system. "Meet me at the training dome now for the assessment."

Upon receiving these instructions, we made our way to the training dome. Then, of course, there was some chitter chatter.

"I'm so ready for this," one guy said.

"Oh yeah? So am I."

"I'm actually kind of nervous."

I kept silent throughout the way there. I couldn't let the others distract me. Anyways, soon we reached our destination. The training dome was well, a construction marvel. On the outside, it was a huge oval stadium that was painted entirely in white. But from the pictures we've seen, despite the dome's outer appearance, the inside was something else. The inner part of the dome could change its setting, from a forested area to perhaps a valley in a matter of seconds. It had many other settings as well. It was the best training centre to ever exist.

"Members of Division 2," Soi Fon taichou stepped out into the outer balcony. "You guys will enter one by one based on the random lots drawn by the judging panel. If you're wondering who's in the panel, it consists of me, Omaeda and our third seat."

Ok….high ranking officers…just my luck…"

"As you can see, we have a medical team on standby outside. I'm sure you guys know what its for."

Wow…..

"Also, there is a monitor from the outside you can watch to view your fellow newbies battle. That is all. Let the assessment begin."

With that, the captain retreated back into the dome. Soon, the monitor displayed Nagasawa's name, prompting him to enter. As soon as he went in, the rest of us gathered round the monitor to witness his performance. And my goodness, was the assessment tough. Upon entering, the assessment began straight away. Soon, many armed robots began charging towards Nagasawa. At least I thought they were robots, they looked like normal shinigamis but they seemed void of life. Anyways, they chased Nagasawa throughout the dome, swinging their wooden zanpaktous at him. Safety, using real zanpaktous would be too dangerous. Nagasawa got a few hits in, taking out a few of the robots. But soon, they swarmed around him and all too quickly, he was incapacitated. The medical team rushed in and carried his sorry ass out of the dome. As they carried him out, we witnessed the bruises and marks on his arms and chest. Frankly, we were sort of afraid.

"Careful guys….." Nagasawa struggled to say. "They're tough."

Alright, don't underestimate them. I couldn't lose focus, otherwise, I would meet the same fate as Nagasawa. Soon, more and more people went in, and they would exit via the medical team taking them out on the stretcher. And now, it was my turn.

"No way she's going to make it."

"Impossible."

"They should stop this before it even begins for her."

Assholes…..looking down on me. I'll show them what I'm capable of.

Upon entering, the first of the robots charged at me. This one was big and somewhat slow, an easy task for me to grab his collar and throw him above my head which sent it crashing against a huge tree. Then came small and quicker ones, yet they came from a distance. So once again, easy for me to just pull out Sharpshooter and fire at them. Now came the part where all those who went before me failed. A huge number of the robots started to swarm around me and I didn't have the time to take aim at every single one of them. Quickly putting back Sharpshooter into my weapon holster, I prepared for hand to hand combat as the first of the swarm rushed to me with lightning quickness. Aiming a slash at me, I managed to side step it and I grabbed its arm to pull it close to me before I twisted my hips to toss him over my body. Then came the second. Targeting my mid-section, I ducked before rising up and giving it a swift uppercut to its jaw. Then, the third. He was the fastest so far. Slash after slash, I continued to doge before I finally found an opening to deliver a front kick to its chest before delivering a right cross to his face. I was mentally exhausted at this point and I began to lose focus. More and more of them approached me and after so much avoiding and dodging, I was finally hit. One of them managed to slash and hit my ribcage with its wooden zanpaktou and damn did it hurt. Covering the spot with my right hand for supports, I tumbled out of the way to avoid more hits but as soon as I got up, another team came from behind me and delivered a stiff blow to my back as I nearly fell forward, only for my instinct of jerking my knee which prevented me from falling. The hits were hard and somehow, I was still standing. Then, came a swarm of them. About twenty or so of them surrounded me and I was trapped. I tried to charge my way through, but boy was that stupid. They stopped me in my tracks as about five of them raised their zanpaktous and striked me once again at my ribcage upon which I yelled in pain. I was pretty sure my ribs were going to crack soon. A couple of them then swung their weapons at my stomach, with such force that I flew into a tree ten metres backwards, spitting out blood as I was in mid-air. I landed on the floor after crashing, front first as my face landed hard on the floor with the rest of my body sprawled. I was on the verge of unconsciousness when I heard sharpshooter speak to me.

"Keiko, are you alright?"

"Damn it….this hurts," I struggled to communicate with him as I continued coughing out blood.

"Remember the words I spoke to you? Use them."

"Al….alright….."

Damn! How could I forget? The words of Sharpshooter? Alright then, it was time. I summoned the courage and energy to get off the floor as I covered my injured sports and slowly removed Sharpshooter from his holster. The robots took notice of my sudden mobility and rushed towards me once more. I had no idea what saying Sharpshooters words would do but I had faith that they'd help me. As the robots closed in, I began to speak as I pointed Sharpshooter towards them.

"Take your aim…..SHARPSHOOTER!"

Upon saying this, I felt a burst of reiatsu come from within me as a light blue vortex surrounded me. This burst had sent the robots flying as they landed hard on the solid ground. As I took a look at Sharpshooter, he was no longer a small white pistol. He had transformed into a black assault rifle, something that resembled an M16 assault rifle, except that Sharpshooter was slightly thicker as he had an extra layer of protection. Had I achieved shikai? I believed I did. I also heard gasps coming from the judging panel. No doubt that they were shocked too.

"SHIKAI?" yelled Omaeda.

"Wow," commented my third seat aloud.

Alright, time to be serious. The first of the robots got back up and came towards me. Easy for me to use Sharpshooter's muzzle to thrust at it and it fell to the ground. The second one came and it was simple for me to hold Sharpshooter out to deflect his oncoming strike before I swung the side of the rifle butt to strike the robot hard on the side of its head. Then, the swarm came. With haste, I help sharpshooter in front one me and fired at them like there was no tomorrow, spraying in every direction ahead of me. One by one, they dropped cold. Finally, it was over as I bent forward and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"You like your new power?" said Sharpshooter in my head.

"Yeah…," I panted. "Thanks a bunch."

I slowly made my way out of the dome, hugging Sharpshooter close to my chest, making sure that the muzzle was not pointing at any part of my body for obvious safety issues. I limped out of there as a result from my injuries. I was greeted by all other participants as well as Soi Fon taichou herself whom were all applauding me.

"Well done!"

"Good job!"

These were just some of the cheers I received. I smiled at them with blood still coming out of my mouth with bruises all over my face and the rest of my body. I approached Soi Fon taichou but before I could reach her, my body gave way as I collapsed to the floor. I witnessed the medical team rush towards me with a stretcher and all other sorts of medical equipment before my vision finally faded as I blacked out.

That's the end of Chapter 4! How'd you guys like it? What did you all think of Keiko's shikai? Please let me know Apologies though as from next chapter onwards, I can't post as often as I'd like to but do continue reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the long wait guys but here is the next chapter! Do enjoy!

Chapter 5: The Coming Times

"Wow, that's certainly a surprise."

"Yeah, you can say that again."

"Youngest shinigami ever to achieve shikai, not to mention that she's the fastest to achieve it as well."

"She'll make a fine shinigami, Unohana taichou. Uh….how is she?"

"Well, she suffered from a couple of broken ribs, a cracked stomach and numerous fractures. But don't worry. All major injuries have been treated and I've managed to stop the internal bleeding. She'll wake up soon, don't worry Soi Fon taichou."

"Thanks so much."

"You've got to stop sending him here too."

Upon waking up, I found myself lying on a bed in the medical ward of the 4th division. The ongoing conversation from the two captains woke me up from my nice nap but damn was I pretty messed up from my nice nap but damn was I pretty messed up. Bandages were wrapped around many parts of my body and I couldn't move a muscle. I also realized that I was breathing through an oxygen mask. Anyways, I tried speaking.

"Tye shou….."

"Did you hear that Soi Fon taichou?" said Unohana and both she and my captain turned in my direction.

"Tai jou…"

Damn was I weak and the oxygen mask was making it even harder for me to speak clearly.

"Keiko," Soi Fon taichou said to me as she approached my side. "Don't speak, you need to rest. Your body was pretty banged up and Unohana taichou had to work real hard to help you recover. Be sure to thank her when you're better."

I struggled to even move my eyes to face Unohana taichou. Boy was I really weak. I tried smiling at her and she smiled back. I guess she must have gotten the gesture by the way she smiled back at me.

"Keiko, I have to apologise on Omaeda's behalf. He adjusted the setting of the robots so that they were at a level of which Vice-Captains leveled shinigami and above should face. That's why the blows and hits from the robots were so much harder than they were supposed to be."

Damn that Omaeda for putting me in this mess.

"Anyways, he's here too," Soi Fon taichou said as she pointed to a bed on her left.

I tried turning and I saw Omaeda lying on a bed. And safe to say that he was in a real bad way, perhaps he was even worse off than me. Soi Fon taichou must have beaten him up again. I smiled as I returned to my original position, never did I like my pathetic excuse of a Vice Captain.

"Congratulations though, Keiko. You did real well to pass. In the mean time though, rest well and Unohana will take good care of you."

"That's right, you can count on me."

"Now if you'd excuse me….."

She sped off like lightning, definitely in a hurry. I realized though that this wasn't the first time that she's sped off like this. It did get me wondering….why did she always have to speed off? I mean, there was no captain's meeting since Unohana was here taking care of me. And there was no major events going on at the time…..perhaps I'm just wondering too much…Anyways, I figured that it just wasn't any of my business as I turned to face the ceiling and let my eyes close to get some more rest.

2 Months Later….

"All right guys, let's do this again!" Soi Fon taichou commanded the squad.

Ever since I made a full recovery from my injuries and returned to training, Soi Fon taichou had removed me from the newbies and had ordered me to train with those of higher ranks within the division. And boy, were these training sessions way harder. Combat sessions were longer and more rigorous, although I still breezed through the target practices.

"And one two, one two!"

"One two, one two!" the squad yelled in unison.

We were to replicate Soi Fon taichou's movements as she performed them high up on a balcony at the same time, she would watch us perform them in the training ground. Curse my height, for I always stood in the front row making it easier for her to spot my mistakes. But boy did she have the eyes of a hawk, spotting mistakes even from those who were standing from the very back.

"Yuri!" she screamed at a woman standing in the far back. "Don't be sluggish!"

"Keiko! Pay attention!"

Damn, another mistake. Wow was I even worse off in these advanced combat training sessions.

"Alright guys, that's enough for today."

Thank goodness…..

"But first, Yagami Keiko, meet me in my quarters after this."

Just great….

"Alright, dismissed!"

As everyone took their leave, I hung my head down as I dragged myself to Soi Fon taichou's quarters. It was just my paranoia getting to me again. I mean, I'm fine with Soi Fon taichou calling me and all, but couldn't she do it more discreetly? I just didn't want people to judge me like they did before…..Soon though, I arrived at Soi Fon taichou's quarters and I knocked on the door.

"Yes ma'am, you wanted to see me?"

"We're heading to the 12th division."

"May I ask why?"

"To see Mayuri taichou. There's some test that he wants to run with you. Frankly, I'm interested too."

"Oh…..okay….."

Great, a visit to see that weird faced freak.

"May I ask…..why are we heading there?" I said with a hint of disgust in my mouth.

"Haha. We just want to measure readings from your powers."

"Readings from my powers?"

"Yup."

"Al…..alright…."

Readings from my powers? It did intrigue me somewhat. So I was fine with visiting the 12th division in the end. It didn't seem like it was going to be a wasted trip so why not? Soon after, we arrived at 12th division headquarters. Upon entering, Nemu jumped up from behind me and started attaching sensors to my body.

"HEY! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?" I yelled as I struggled about as Nemu did her work.

"Just keep still," Soi Fon taichou said. "Mayuri has his own way of doing things."

"Ah…..Soi Fon…Keiko…"

Just hearing his voice could send chills down my spine. I turned and faced him as Nemu finished attaching the sensors on me.

"Please, Yagami Keiko, step into the chamber in front of you," Mayuri taichou asked.

"Okay," I replied in a rather frustrated manner.

"May I ask, what is this test going to reveal exactly?" asked Soi Fon taichou.

"Well, we just want to measure the bullet speed and reiatsu levels. Also, didn't you tell me that occasionally you can't feel her reiatsu at all?"

"That's right. You can't feel it now too, can you?"

"Yeah…..you're right."

I really wondered why others kept on saying that. I didn't intentionally hide my reiatsu. Anyways, I stepped into the chamber as instructed and pulled out Sharpshooter.

"Please attach a sensor to your weapon."

"Ok," I answered Nemu.

"Keiko, as you see there are ten target boards in front of you. Please shoot them all down," Mayuri taichou instructed.

With pleasure, I thought to myself. Taking aim, I fired and the targets were down in no time.

"Alright. The boards will come out again. This time, please activate your shikai and repeat the process."

That seems unnecessary. But whatever….

"Take your aim, SHARPSHOOTER!"

Like last time, a blue vortex of reiatsu surrounded me as Shapshooter changed form. Once again, I took aim and just went trigger happy as the target boards were blasted to smithereens.

"Alright, that will be all. You can come out."

That was shorter than I expected. I powered down and approached Soi Fon taichou, Mayuri taichou and Nemu as they stood round a set of monitors.

"Interesting….." Mayuri taichou commented.

"Wow…..just wow….." Soi Fon taichou said.

"What?" I said in surprise as I analysed their reactions.

"Take a look at this," Mayuri taichou said. "Reiatsu from your body flows into the magazine of the gun, that's how you manage to fire. By shooting concentrated bursts of reiatsu."

"So?" This isn't something that I didn't know…..

"That's not the surprising thing. With a pistol, your reiatsu levels is that of any ordinary shinigami, with a bullet speed of 320m/s. But with shikai….." Mayuri taichou paused as he shook his head in amazement.

"With shikai, your bullet speed was about 1375m/s. And your reiatsu levels were about 90% of a captain's bankai reiatsu levels."

"And…?"

"That's just impressive. Because when a captain activates his or her shikai, their reiatsu levels are only about 50-60% of their bankai reiatsu levels."

I widened my face in awe as I too was stunned by Mayuri taichou's findings. I mean…did I really have that much reiatsu within me?

"Then what about her hidden reiatsu?" Soi Fon taichou asked Mayuri taichou.

"That I cannot answer. The test wasn't able to reveal anything. But I did feel her reiatsu when her shikai was active, although I can't feel it now."

"Yeah, me too."

"Anyways, we're done for today. Thanks for coming you two."

"Don't mention it."

After the conversation, Soi Fon taichou and I made our way out of the 12th division headquarters. The situation was well, kind of awkward. Results from the test revealed a lot about me and I'm sure Soi Fon taichou was shocked too. She did smile on the way out though I'm not sure why.

"Wow…looks like I've got a real gem on my hands," commented Soi Fon taichou.

Was she really that proud of me? No doubt the test results shocked me somewhat, but I didn't make a big brouhaha out of it. Soi Fon taichou's reaction seemed otherwise though.

"Your reiatsu levels were crazy back there. Be sure to use them wisely."

"Yes ma'am," I replied in a rather hush manner to try and keep it low profile.

"Anyways, I have to make a move. Catch you later."

And just like that, she sped off once more. Really, what the heck did she have to hurry off to? Curiousity was getting the better of me but I had bigger fish to fry. Like practicing. Since I had the rest of the day off, I decided to just train for the rest of the day.

A Month Later…

In the past month, I had really gotten the hang of hand to hand combat. With my usual personal training sessions with Soi Fon taichou, I had improved greatly, even winning a mini combat tournament within the division. Howevr, in my spare time, I had worked on kidou and shunpo techniques, though I hadn't master them yet. Soi Fon taichou didn't really emphasise much on kidou, neither did she teach us shunpo tricks as she said every single one of us should not copy one another as similar patterns might me recognized by the enemy. However, she did train us on how to go further, faster and quieter with a single step of shunpo. Anyways, one day, during my free time, I headed to the training dome to test myself once more. This time though, I set the difficulty to a captain's level.

Stepping into the dome, charging forward came the first robot. Easy for me to take aim and fire at him, dropping him cold. Then came another two. Aiming their weapons at me, I dodged and tumbled to avoid the contact, before bvracing myself to rise from the floor to launch a kick at one of them, before making a corkscrew twist in mid-air to give a punch across the face of the other. With that, a whole bunch of them swarmed towards me. It was time…

"Take your aim, SHARPSHOOTER!"

Once again, sharpshooter had transformed into an M16, and I started spraying like there was no tomorrow. As the robots dropped to the ground, it seemed like the test had ended. However, I sensed the presence of multiple targets. Soon, I saw a few more swarms heading towards me at great speeds and did I have to concentrate to avoid their advances. It was, however, unavoidable that I was hit and I crashed into the building wall tens of metres behind me. The blows did hurt but since the last time, my skills had improved greatly and the hits and blows did not hurt as much. My tolerance to pain had gone up a great deal.

As I got up from the crash, I knew I had to do something different. And so, it was time to use a new power that I had developed.

"Sharpshooter, blast mode!"

In this new shikai form, sharpshooter had transformed into a silver shotgun, that gave it a wider spread of concentrated firepower, rather than a faster rate of fire and a longer range as compared to when sharpshooter was an M16. I blasted my way through the swarms as they were blown to literally, thousands of pieces. Easy peasy. Then, came the final stage of the exercise. Now, literally, hundreds of them came at me, in on huge swarm. Time to practice my kidou. Reverting him back into an assault rifle, I sprayed sharpshooter across the hundreds of robots at me. Instead of regular fire though, sharpshooter fired out yellow streams of light. Upon making contact with them, all the robots were pierced in their mid-sections by rods of light.

"Bakudou 61, Rikujokoro," I thought to myself.

Now that they were held in place, they were like sitting ducks. There was no way they could escape now and so, taking my own time, I slowly approached each and every one of them and placed sharpshooter against their heads, before I fired at them. As the last bot fell, the assessment ended.

"Time to clear up and leave, before taichou finds out I've been using the place illegally."

However, as soon as I started clearing up, I felt Soi Fon taichou's reiatsu. Damn was I going to get a earful from her.

"Keiko…."

"Taichou!" I yelled as I rushed to her. I'm sorry!"

"Don't be, you did well."

"WHAT?!" I said with a shocked expression. She was pretty strict so this was certainly unexpected.

"A kidou without incantation…beating a captain's level assessment…..multiple shikai modes…you never cease to amaze me," Soi Fon taichou commended me as she came over to tussle my hair. "You make me proud."

"Thanks," I said as I blushed and smiled at her.

I felt like she was becoming more and more of a sister to me, though I wasn't sure if she felt the same way. She helped me clean up the place and we talked as well while doing so. We learned more and more about each other and wow, what a lady my captain was. Our bond was definitely beyond that of master and subordinate and I believed that we were soon, becoming the best of friends. As we finished though, she guided me out of the dome and we headed back to division headquarters to have a good rest.

Later that night…

"Keiko, you feel it too don't you?"

"I do," I replied sharpshooter as he visited me once again in my dreams for a brief conversation.

"I don't know her personally but she's definitely hiding something…."

"I know but maybe Soi Fon taichou doesn't want to worry me."

"Perhaps. Keep a lookout. I'm always here for you."

"I know. Thanks sharpshooter."

"You're welcome."

The Next Morning….

I woke up fresh and prepared for the day ahead. I stepped into Soi Fon taichou's private quarters, only to find that she wasn't there. However, a letter addressed to me was left on her desk so I took it up and read it.

"Hi little Sis.

Yes….I am indeed referring to you Keiko…..please don't be alarmed by my sudden disappearance. I'm just going out on a mission with 4th seat Matsuo and 5th seat Chiasa. If you're wondering why I didn't bring you of that fat bastard, it's because I didn't think I need that much help. It should be a simple mission. I know I can count on you if I were to fail anyways. And yes, don't be shocked to hear people calling you ma'am from now on. It's because I've officially replaced Omaeda with you as Vice Captain of the squad. So yes. Do carry out training as you see fit. You'll be in charge for the time being. See you in a couple of days.

Cheers

Soi Fon (Big Sister)"

"Whaaaaaatttttt?" that was certainly unexpected.

Major shocker. Ok, the feelings we had for each other were mutual. But I mean, Vice Captain? Just wow….Anyways, it was going to be a few days so it couldn't be that bad, could it? After spending some time thinking about what had happened, I left the room only to be greeted by s stream of confetti that flew into my face.

"What the….."

"SURPRISE!" yelled a bunch of my new subordinates congratulating my promotion.

I blushed in embarrassment as I retreated back into Soi Fon taichou's quarters to avoid the crowd. And so began the days of my new life as Vice Captain of the 2nd division…

That's the end. So, what did you guys think? Please do continue to read as the story approaches its climax!


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks guys for reading thus far! It's been fun writing this story so here's the next chapter!

Chapter 6: Distress Signal

"Good morning ma'am!"

"Morning to you ma'am!"

"How are we doing today ma'am?"

These were some of the greetings that I received each day as soon as I woke up and stepped out of my private quarters. I still wasn't at ease with this whole new Vice Captain thing and every so often, I would find myself ignoring my subordinates' attempts to address me. Even if I did acknowledge them, my face would always show a hint of uneasiness. I would place my hands against the side of my body and raise it up slightly to wave at them…..not exactly the best way to reciprocate the greetings. Anyways, being Vice Captain wasn't all bad and awkward. I had my own private quarters like Soi Fon taichou, though it was only about a third the size of hers. More privacy nonetheless. And since she wasn't around, I could decide the daily schedule. I would work out something similar to what Soi Fon taichou would want, to ensure that the standards of the squad were not to be lowered.

"Ma'am," Omaeda said. "It's been a week since Soi Fon taichou left…aren't you worried at all?"

There goes that Omaeda again…being paranoid. She was our captain and I had every confidence in her that she'll succeed in whatever she does.

"Don't worry," I replied. "I'm sure everything is alright. If something did indeed happen, I'm sure we would have heard some news about it by now."

"Alright….if you say so….."

"So where's the day's paperwork?"

Ahh…the most annoying part of the day…..paperwork. As I asked the question, the now 3rd seated Omaeda handed me a huge stack of forms that required my signature. It was the most mundane task of all and I really wondered how Soi Fon taichou could do this every day. One by one, I started signing them and I was sure my arm was going to fall off by the time I was done.

"Ma'am," Omaeda spoke once more. "Will the training be the same as yesterday?"

"Yes. Please prepare the squad when it's nearly time. I will be down in a hour," I said to him.

"Understood ma'am."

Training was always fun for me. Instead of being watched, it was fun for me to be on the other side to conduct the training. Whenever people made a mistake, I would yell at them and tell them to focus, just as Soi Fon taichou did.

"Ai! Get it together!"

"Ryo! Move it!"

I would often giggle to myself as I corrected my subordinates. It always gave me a funny feeling in my stomach as I realized that I could see what Soi Fon taichou saw on a daily basis as she stood high up on a balcony, staring down intensely on the training ground to oversee the training session for the squad. I did wonder though…what did Soi Fon taichou think about me as she watched me in action…I guess it didn't matter anyways now that we had grown so much closer together.

"Alright guys. That's enough," I said to those on the training ground. "You all will be free until the night session begins. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!"

Night sessions were something that I added to the training outline. It wasn't something that was totally new to them, it was just something that wasn't a part of regular training. Being in the 2nd division, stealth was key in our operations and I usually asked them to work on their movement. Every once in a while, I'd show them how its done, how to maneuver in the dark so as to avoid detection from the enemy…this was all thanks to the captain during our personal training sessions. With Soi Fon taichou, or rather, with my big sister focusing solely on me, she had more time to teach me and correct me whenever I was wrong and that was why I was able to pick it up faster than the rest, and probably second to none except for Soi Fon taichou of course.

In my free time, I would often head out of Sereitei to work on shunpo techniques. Soi Fon taichou had this special ability to make multiple copies of herself, but I was looking to go one further. I have been trying out this technique where I would shunpo away and leave a single copy of myself behind by utilising my reiatsu to create a clone. This clone would react to enemy's attack and movements so that I could buy time to escape or go in to attack. Or I would be at a different location witnessing all these happen where I would wait to go in for the killer blow. It would only disappear once I willed it to. I would rent a robot as well from the 12th division to work on the technique.

"Shunpo clone!" I yelled as I duplicated myself and shunpoed in behind the robot.

The robot charged towards my clone as expected as I watched from behind him. I could finish him off there and then, but I wanted to see if my clone would react in the way I wanted it too.

"DAMN IT! AGAIN!?"

Upon getting striked by the robot, my clone just vanished into thin air. This wasn't supposed to the case as I had not willed it to do so yet. If I had nailed the technique down, I would have expected to see my clone fall back and bleed from a wound that would have been created across its chest. This attempt had failed the technique's purpose as I wouldn't want my enemy to know that I had escaped in the midst of a battle which I knew I would lose and it was disadvantageous for me if he or she were to come after me. Also, I wouldn't have wanted my enemy to move out of the way once he or she realized that I had disappeared in the event that I had to kill in one shot. After multiple failed attempts, I blasted the robot's head off in frustration as I ended my practice.

"Have to find a way to make this work," I thought to myself.

I had a few more hours before the night session began, so I decided to head off to the waterfall to meditate again. Before stepping in though, I lit up a cigarette and had a puff to release some stress. Damn did it feel good to smoke. Anyways, I entered the water and took up my usual position and began to focus.

"Hi there Keiko!" Sharpshooter called.

"Hello!" I smiled as I returned the greeting.

"You need to calm yourself down more if you're ever going to perfect the technique."

"I know…I just don't know what I'm doing wrong."

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it," Sharpshooter reassured.

"Thanks Sharpshooter."

"You're welcome."

"Hey…"

"Yes?"

"Do you know why the others say that I have an ability to hide my reiatsu?"

"It's an innate ability that you have. As to how you can control it, I'm not too sure."

"I see."

"But I can tell that when you hide it, no one would feel the effects of your reiatsu. It would be as if it never existed. They would only feel it once you've made contact with them, like when you fire at them and the reiatsu bullet pierces through them. When you choose to reveal it though, others would feel its effects instantaneously, like having to brace themselves once they feel the immense force behind your reiatsu because otherwise, they would be blown away by the pressure. In this case, they would feel it even before you make contact with them."

"Wow…..something that I have to work on too….Imagine the tactical advantages it may have."

"I know right, you have the necessary abilities to be the ultimate assassin."

"Stop it," I said as I closed my eyes and blushed.

"You're really cute when you do that you know? You have to look at yourself in the mirror."

"Thanks Sharpshooter. You always know what to say."

"I'm always here. Remember that. Anyways, aren't you supposed to head down for training?"

"Oh damn! You're right! Alright, I'll make a move first. See you soon!"

"Bye Keiko! Take care!"

Upon waking up, I hurried back to conduct the training. Boy was I late. Arriving at the training ground, I saw that the others were already there. They didn't take notice of my presence though, and I thought it was about time to control this reiatsu of mine. Actually, it was easy once I got the hang of it. I had to acknowledge the ability within me and focus to control my subconscious. So, I turned my reiatsu 'on' to give my subordinates a scare. Releasing shikai, I let my reiatsu flow as the pressure sent some of my subordinates airborne. The stronger ones braced themselves tightly as cracks formed on the floor as they held themselves in position under the immense force.

"What the heck?"

"Ahhhh!"

"Nooooooo!"

These were just some of the screams that I heard. I guess I was sadistic as I smiled at their pain.

"Slacking off now are we?" I said as I turned my reiatsu 'off' as I travelled through the crowd.

"No ma'am!" the squad yelled in unison.

"Did you feel her reiatsu at all?"

"No…."

"Scary…."

The murmurs confirmed that I had perfected the technique of hiding my reiatsu as and when I pleased. I thought maybe it was because the reiatsu levels of my subordinates weren't that high yet, until Omaeda commented on it too. Having the reiatsu of a Vice Captain and still being unable to sense my reiatsu further proved to me that I had nailed the technique down.

"Alright guys. Let's begin."

After Training….

The squad had been working hard so I gave them the following day off. However, a sudden uneasiness crept into me. There were lots of small talk regarding how Soi Fon taichou hadn't returned with Matsuo and Chiasa. Maybe Omaeda's paranoia wasn't unjustified after all….it just never crossed my mind before that Soi Fon taichou would actually fail…Anyways, I had to keep a cool head. I couldn't afford to let the rest of the squad know how I was feeling about it too….

"Alright guys. Go have a good rest. There will be no training tomorrow. You'll have the day off."

"Thanks ma'am!" the squad yelled to show their appreciation.

Time to hit the hay. With the session adjourned, I headed back to my private quarters to sleep. But before I did though, I had my usual smoke break and took a shower to freshen up. While I was bathing, I wasn't at ease all as I usually was, for the murmurs regarding Soi Fon taichou still remained in my head. I was getting increasingly worried…damn it…why was this happening? I have never felt like this before…..She was the only friend I had now besides Sharpshooter and that I had never gone this long without her before…perhaps this was why…I just needed to have faith in my big sister, that was what I told myself as I exited the showers and headed back to my quarters to rest.

"Night ma'am."

"Rest well ma'am."

"See you tomorrow ma'am."

"Goodnight guys."

As I lay one my bed and wrapped myself in blankets to keep me warm from the air-conditioners icy cold wind, I tossed and turned in bed as I struggled to sleep. Damn it…I couldn't even sleep now…taichou…..please come back soon…..As I finally managed to calm myself down, my eyes were finally closing but they shot open as I detected a familiar, but weak reiatsu emanating from the headquarters entrance….

"Ma'am! It's Chiasa!" one of the lookouts yelled.

"Hurry! Hurry!" the other lookout frantically yelled for others to help Chiasa. "Help her out!"

I rushed out on to the balcony to witness my subordinates going to the aid of Chiasa. My 5th seat wasn't looking too good. Even from high up, I could tell that she was in a pretty bad shape. She was limping with every step she took. Her dreadlocked hair came undone, and her pretty face was covered in bruises. Her uniform had holes in it, revealing wounds that still bled, leaving drops of blood behind wherever she walked.

"Damn it….what the heck is going on…..wheres Matsuo….wheres Soi Fon taichou….." I asked myself as I got increasingly worried.

Without hesitation, I leapt over the balcony and landed four floors below me on the square to rush to the aid of my subordinate.

"Quickly!" I shouted. "Get her to the infirmary now!"

She was mumbling abit, was Chiasa.

"Ambush…elements…poison….ahhhhhh!"

After rambling, Chiasa collapsed as a result from her injuries. Upon which, my subordinates lifted her off the floor and laid her on a stretcher to carry her off to the infirmary. But, what did her words all mean? No doubt that they meant that my big sister and Matsuo were in serious trouble, but I had no idea what I was going up against…I had no choice but to wait. As such, I escorted her to see Unohana taichou.

"What's this?" Unohana said with a look of concern on her face.

"It's Chiasa! Something's wrong!" I yelled in distress.

"Quickly! Lay her on the bed over there!" Unohana said as she pointed towards a bed in the far corner of the infirmary.

In a flash, I did as I was told.

"This is bad…..you two!" Unohana summoned two of her assistants. "Bring her to the operating room on the double!"

I followed close behind them but was denied entry into the room.

"Hey! Let me in!"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I can't. Unohana taichou needs to focus if she is to save your subordinates life."

"But I…"

"Don't worry. We'll update you once she's able to speak."

"Al…..alright…."

Truth be told, I was more concerned for the safety of my big sister, not so much Chiasa or Matsuo. Sure it would be sad to lose either of them, but they weren't Soi Fon taichou….anyways I wasn't so heartless as to not help them out at all…I would have left to save both Soi Fon taichou and Matsuo, though my big sister was my primary concern. I also did what any other Vice Captain would have done, regardless of the relationship between subordinate and superior, by helping Chiasa to the 4th division to receive help. At least I cared…anyways, whilst waiting, I spent the time by training to prepare for the fight ahead. Pushups, single handed pushups, sit ups, pull ups, whatever physical exercise I could think of. I practiced my shooting, my combat skills in the training dome and other techniques I was working on. And of course, I would not forget to meditate. Going to the waterfall once again, I took up my usual position.

"Keiko….please, be careful."

"I know," I replied Sharpshooter.

"We have no idea what we're coming up against…best to be thoroughly prepared."

"Yeah….but Soi Fon taichou…."

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll fight to see you again. Don't lose faith just yet," Sharpshooter said as he wrapped his hands around me in a big hug.

"Thanks," I said as I cuddled in his warm embrace.

I really loved Sharpshooter. He was always there for me and always knew just what to say. Words couldn't express how much I cherished him…..

"Sharpshooter…..I….."

"I love you too," Sharpshooter said instantly.

Thank goodness he knew where I was going with that. I would have vomited if I had said those words…..thank goodness he was there to save me from a huge embarrassment….I replied in the best way that I could, by smiling the smile that he enjoyed so much just to see. He smiled back at me and boy did he look gorgeous.

"Keiko….."

"Yeah?"

"You feel that surge of energy within you right?"

Now that he mentioned it, I did feel stronger….though I couldn't explain why…..

"Now that you mention it…."

"Yup. It's because you've achieved it," Sharpshooter said with a cheeky smile.

I thought about what he could mean by that and after some thinking, I believed I finally got the message.

"You don't mean….."

"Yes, I do….be sure to use that power wisely."

"Al….alright," I stuttered as I was still shocked by what had just happened.

"Please be careful alright?"

"I will."

"Good."

"And Sharpshooter….thanks….I….uh….ler…..luh…..lav…..love you too."

He gave me that gorgeous smile again as I exited my alternate state.

That's the end of Chapter 6! Please do continue to read. And do let me know what you guys feel about the events that have transpired so far!


	7. Chapter 7

Hi guys! Sorry for the long wait so here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 7: Catastrophe

It had been two days since Chiasa returned. There were no news regarding her status as of yet, but I needed to keep calm. I could not let my insecurities get the better of me, not just for my sake, but for the rest of my squad as well. Trained and trained I did to maintain my skills and edge, I couldn't be slacking off now. It was lunch time and I was halfway through my meal when Omaeda burst through the doors of the cafeteria to notify me of what had happened.

"MA'AM!" he yelled. "She's finally awake! Unohana taichou has given permission for you to speak to her."

Wiping my mouth with a cloth and getting up from my seat, I made my way to the infirmary to speak with my 5th seat. Upon entering, I saw that Chiasa was not in a good way, even worse off than the time that I myself was sent to the infirmary after the first assessment that I took. She was breathing through a machine, and numerous scars surrounded her body as a result of Unohana taichou needing to operate on her. Her left leg, presumably broken, was in a cast although her right seemed fine. Her arms looked alright as well. I approached her side and sat down on a chair as I began to speak.

"Chiasa….."

"Ma'am….." said Chiasa weakly.

"Shh…don't force yourself….you need to rest."

"No….no….its fine….please listen…."

I leaned in closer so that I could hear her better.

"It was a simple mission," Chiasa began to say. "We were near our destination when we were ambushed by a few goons. They were not strong and we could easily take them….But one of them shot something at me and taichou…..Soi Fon taichou jumped in the way to save me…..it was some kind of poison I think…she didn't wake up after she was shot in the chest…"

"WHAT!? WHAT OF MATSUO THEN?"

"Same…..same thing….he got shot too...I tried to escape but after which, their leader came and he was real strong….I could feel substantial amounts of spiritual energy coming from him…They gave chase and I had to fight my way through and I got beaten up pretty badly…..their leader though…"

"What about him!?"

"He could control the elements…..lightning…fire….water….."

"I see…..that explains the severe injuries and the burns….."

"Yes…..that's right…..but Keiko….ma'am…..you have to go after them…..it's a Division 2 mission and Soi Fon had already sgined the paperwork to undertake the mission…so no other Divisions can help us unless she acknowledges them on paper….."

"Damn….."

"Other divisions are too busy with their own work and they have no manpower to spare…..even if they were to offer a sign of goodwill and help us freely…Unohana has told me this….."

That's right…Sereitei was having an exercise which required all shinigamis to participate and other captains and Vice Captains had to tend to their own squads so no one could help us…damn….why did my big sister pick a wrong time to go on a mission….nonetheless, I knew what I had to do.

"Ma'am, there's a map in my uniform….take it to find the enemy's hideout….."

I took the map out and turned around to thank Chiasa. However, she had slipped back into unconsciousness. Boy was she weak. Anyways, I prepared what was necessary and left Sereitei with Omaeda.

The map revealed that the eneny's hideout was two days away. While making our way there, Omaeda revealed more about his past to me and why he was okay with Soi Fon taichou abusing him and all…and wow did I have a whole new level of respect for him.

"Ma'am…..do you think she'll be fine?"

"I'm not going to lie," I told Omaeda. "I don't know, but we can't lose fiath now. We're here to rescue her and Matsuo and defeat the enemy…stay focused on the mission and don't get distracted…."

"Understood ma'am."

During the two nights we spent together en route to the hideout, we took turns to watch our camp site. Despite people thinking he was a useless bastard, I felt strangely secure with him watching over me. No wonder my big sister could tolerate him as her Vice Captain. Despite his irresponsibility, he was reliable when called upon. Note to self, don't judge a book by it's cover.

At daybreak, we trekked through the thick forest to reach our destination. However, I sensed that something was afoot. Thus, I told Omaeda to pull out a pair of binoculars.

"Omaeda, look up ahead. Something doesn't feel right….."

"Okay."

Doing as told, he took up the binoculars and searched.

"Ma'am!" he whispered. "There are a few armed people up ahead hiding in the trees."

As I expected. The enemy set up another ambush, probably figuring that there will be people coming to save Soi Fon taichou and Matsuo. Bunch of sneaky bastards.

"Omaeda, brace yourself."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll use my shikai's reiatsu to shock them."

"Understood ma'am."

Pulling Sharpshooter from his holster, I took him and pointed him in front of me.

"Take your aim, Sharpshooter!"

As he transformed, I turned my reiatsu 'on' and let the pressure shock the goons out of the trees. They crashed hard on to the rough ground below them and Omaeda used this chance to approach them and slash them and swung his zanpakuto at them. All but one managed to escape and attempted to sneak behind Omaeda and surprise him.

"OMAEDA! WATCH OUT!" I yelled.

He turned only to see his aggressor approach him. But he was too slow to react. So, I took aim and fired at the goon, with the shot narrowly avoiding Omaeda's right ear and nailing the goon right in the middle of his forehead and travelling out the back of his head. His blood splattered when he flew back from the impact, killing him instantly.

"Be careful," I warned Omaeda.

His face was overcomed with both awe and shock as his eyes widened with his jaw hanging loose. No doubt he was still stunned that the now dead goon nearly got the jump on him.

"I…ah….I…"

"You're welcome," I replied his incomplete sentence.

"Alright, let's move forward."

"Yes ma'am."

I slung Sharpshooter behind me via a rifle sling but was I in for a big surprise.

"You have grown stronger, haven't you Keiko?"

That voice…..no….no….it couldn't be….he was dead….My eyes widened in shock as I stood still in my tracks contemplating the odds of him surviving whilst Omaeda turned to face whoever it was who spoke. Ever so slowly, I turned around to face him and was I have the shock of my life.

"What? You look like you've seen a ghost. Is this any way to treat a friend?"

"KENJI!" I yelled excitedly as I let the small kid within me loose to run over to him, pouncing on him as he caught me mid-flight to give him a huge hug.

"Is…..is this really you?" I said as the tears started to fall.

"Of course its me,' he said reassuringly as he lay his head on the top of mine.

"Ma'am, who is this?" Omaeda asked.

"A friend of mine. He was with me the night Soi Fon taichou rescued me. I thought he was dead."

"Ma'am?" Kenji said as he shot me an inquisitive look.

"You're looking at the Vice Captain of Sereitei's Division 2, excuse me," I said as I slowly pulled Kenji's grip loose to lower myself to the floor.

"WOAH!" Kenji exclaimed. "Excuse me ma'am," he then said sarcastically.

"I see you have changed a bit," I said. "I can't believe….you're alive…." I fell to my knees and cried once more. To know that others may have survived was indeed good news….I….I….just couldn't believe it….

"Ma'am…." Omaeda approached from behind to help me to my feet.

"It's…it's….it's okay…thanks….." I said as Omaeda let go of me.

"Hey….you're not alone now….you have your squad and now, me," Kenji said reassuringly.

"I know….." I said still wiping the tears off my face.

"C'mon, you and your subordinate can follow me to my place," Kenji said as he placed his arm around my shoulder and started walking.

"Alright…"

I began to follow him as Omaeda walked behind the two of us. However, I realized that I had not asked him yet how he survived. And so, I did.

"Kenji….I'm happy and all that you're alive and all….but how did you survive?"

He didn't reply, and so I asked again.

"Hey, did you hear me?"

Again, no response. I was getting fed up and Omaeda then backed me up.

"HEY! MA'AM IS ASKING YOU A QUESTION!"

I was about to turn him around to give him a slap across the face. But then, I saw the sunlight reflect off the blade of someone's weapon whom was hiding on the top of a nearby tree. Instinctively, I told Omaeda to watch it.

"OMAEDA! LOOK OUT!"

Thankfully, he was quick to react. We both jumped out of the way as we witnessed two small objects hit the ground, creating a tiny dust cloud upon impact. I went over to pick the objects up and realized, much to my horror, a dart. Damn…..so this was all a set up. They were trying to get to me and Omaeda just like they did to Soi Fon taichou and Matsuo.

"A dart!?" Omaeda exclaimed.

Just then, the individual who threw the dart shunpoed right in front of Kenji.

"Oh my…our plan didn't work," Kenji said with an evil grin on his face.

"KENJI!" I shouted. "What the heck do you think you're doing?"

"Gotoku has a plan…"

"What the heck are you talking about? Gotoku?"

"Using Sereitei's own to infiltrate and take over…..GENIUS! AHAHAHAHAHA!" Kenji laughed maniacally.

"You fool!" I was about to leap over and kick his sorry behind but then, what he said next stopped me.

"Careful, I'm sure you don't want to harm one of your own….."

I contemplated what he meant as he pulled off the goon's mask, revealing the goon to be none other than my 4th seat, Matsuo.

"Matsuo!" Omaeda yelled. "What the heck are you doing supporting the enemy?"

So this was what it all meant. The dart, Matsuo acting all weird…it must have been some kind of mind controlling drug of some sort.

"Judging by the look on your face, it seems that you have it all figured out."

"I get the picture…." I said as I stared Kenji down.

"A mind control drug….kill the master, kill the puppet…AHAHAHAHAHA! You can't defeat me you bitch!"

DAMN! I couldn't take the risk….

"You could save him, if you have the right supplies. Too bad Sereitei's two days away! So what are you going to do ma'am? If you kill me, the poison within Matsuo's body will activate, killing him from the inside," Kenji said with a huge evil grin on his face.

I slung Sharpshooter in front of me, to prepare for a fight. I stared both Matsuo and Kenji down…..a former friend….a subordinate….how could I bear to hurt anyone of them?

"You hesitate any longer, you're going to end up just like him."

I was frozen…..caught in two places….Kill….or not to kill? I had Sharpshooter pointed in front of me yet I didn't even know if I had it in me to do battle. I shot Kenji a defeated look, whilst he gave me a face that had check-mate written all over it…and perhaps he was right…..there was nothing I could do….I was starting to lose heart but then, Omaeda charged in front and tackled Matsuo.

"Ma'am!" Omaeda yelled amidst the clash of zanpakutos as the sparks flew. "I'll stall him! You take care of your friend!"

This was why Omaeda was a previous Vice Captain….decisive in his actions. Despite being his superior, there were still a lot of things for me to learn. Anyways, I gained some confidence to fight.

"You sure you've got what it takes, Queen?"

That bastard using my old nickname…

"More than what you know, you bastard."

With that, he charged in front of me aiming to give me a right across my face. Seeing the move coming, I grabbed his forward arm and twisted it so that my body leaned into his side as I threw him over my hips in to my side as I threw him over my hips which sent him crashing into a nearby tree. I could have gone in to attack…..but…..I couldn't bear to…..My heart was saying yes, but my mind said no…..I could only think about how we used to spend time together with the others…..happy memories was all I had of Kenji….why did it have to turn out like this….Kenji, on the other hand though, did not hesitate. Upon getting up, he charged towards me and aimed a kick to my ribs. I dodged it easily but the follow up kick hit me across the face. I landed hard on the earth and tumbled towards the base of a huge tree.

"What's the matter ma'am?" Kenji laughed again. "HAHAHAHA."

I couldn't fight….how could I bear to lay a hand on a friend? I lay down facing the floor and I refused to let Kenji see the tears streaming down my face….

"Pathetic," he came over to my side and kicked me repeatedly on my ribs.

"Weakling," he teased as he started to spit on the back of my head.

I just couldn't retaliate….how could I…..I was content with him beating me up, even if that meant I was going to get seriously injured…..i stayed in the same position as the abuse continued….

"Ma'am!" Omaeda yelled. "Don't give up!"

"Shut up you bastard!" Kenji yelled. "This little bitch is going to get it because she's a total weakling! BWAHAHAHA!"

I had totally forgotten about Omaeda….he seemed like he was in no trouble handling Matsuo but if Kenji joined in and ganged up on him, he was sure to lose if I continued to lie down. But…..I just couldn't…all my motivation was gone…I didn't care about anything more…..so long as the aching in my heart would end I was fine….

"MA'AM!" Omaeda yelled as I turned my reiatsu 'off' in submission. I believe he thought that meant that I had died…..sorry to disappoint you, Omaeda.

"HAHAHAHA," I thought a Vice Captain would be stronger than this, he said as he spit on the side of my face again and kicked me repeatedly in my stomach. "Goodbye, Keiko….AHAHAHAHAH!"

As he walked way, Sharpshooter began to speak to me.

"Keiko….don't give up."

"I can't….I just can't…" I began to cry again.

"Kenji isn't you friend anymore…..you know that."

"But I….."

"NO BUTS!" he yelled. "You can't let the past hold you down. You always fight for the future! Matsuo is counting on you, so too is Omaeda…and most importantly, your big sister, your captain, Soi Fon is counting on you. SO GET UP AND FINISH KENJI OFF ALREADY!"

Damn was Sharpshooter right….it was all in the past….I couldn't allow myself to be dragged down by it….so what if friend turned to foe? I had others who now depended on me and there was no way that I could let them down….Boy wasn't that obvious….guess I needed someone to talk some sense into me…\

"Thanks Sharpshooter."

"You're welcome."

I finally turned my head and saw that Omaeda was getting beaten up pretty badly. He was outnumbered as Kenji and Matsuo ganged up on him. Before long, he was on the floor rolling about in pain.

"Damn…"

"You can thank that useless excuse of a Vice Captain you had, HAHAHAHAHAHA."

"Now, you become my pupper!"

He approached Omaeda to inject a dart into him as well. That was it…

"Ken….Kenji…." I said as I slowly got up and turned my reiatsu 'on'.

"Still alive huh?'

"Ma'am….."

"You think just a few kicks will finish me off? How mistaken are you, dumbass."

"What did you call me?" Kenji shouted in anger.

"Dumbass…D…..U….M…B…A…S….S…."

"You bitch!" he leaped over to attack me again but he was in for a surprise.

"AHHHHHHH! Die you bitch!"

"Enough!" I yelled as my reiatsu around me violently. The pressure was so immense that Kenji couldn't even come near me as he bounced off my reiatsu and flew a few metres backwards. Thankfully for Kenji, he managed to land in a crouched position with his hands in front of him to protect himself form an awkward landing as he took up a defensive stance.

"You're going to regret this Kenji…."

"What can you possibly do to make me regret what I did…."

"This…." I said as the reiatsu around me got even more worked up into a frenzy.

"AHHHHHHHHHH…BANKAI!"

As I summoned Sharpshooter's ultimate power, the sky above darkened in an instant and the booming of thunder could be heard as multiple lightning bolts striked the ground surrounding me, creating a brilliant white flash. Upon it dissipating, Sharpshooter was no longer an assault rifle. Instead, he now resembled a much, much larger sniper rifle that was completely golden in colour. Also, a golden mask covered the right side of my face and my uniform had been altered as well. A long golden cape now formed behind my outfit and metal plates surrounded my chest area.

"Herculean Marksman."

"Wha…wha….."

"Are you deaf? Herculean Marksman. My bankai."

"But…..but…"

A strange odour now filled the air and I stared at Kenji, realizing that the clothing surrounded his crotch area was wet.

"Did you just wet yourself? AHAHAHAHAHA," I burst into an uncontrollable laughter.

That fool had actually wet himself….and now I could tell that Kenji, was really afraid.

Furthermore the reiatsu from my bankai was too great and it had blown Kenji away with such pressure that he crashed through nearly ten or more trees.

"How…..how can you still fight? You're a weakling!"

"I'm not going to let the past hold me in its grasp forever. You're not a friend of mine anymore and if you mess with anyone from Sereitei, you're going to get it."

"But….."

"Enough…..Goodbye Kenji."

With that, I took Sharpshooter and pointed him against the forehead of Kenji. Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger and immediately, the reiatsu burst through Kenji's head and his blood splattered everywhere as his head disintegrated instantaneously. His head was now completely gone but the rest of his body still remained as it fell to the floor, I spat on his corpse to signal total disrespect, like he did to me earlier.

"Good riddance…"

Upon his death, Matsuo collapsed to the floor. I had forgotten what Kenji had said earlier. "Kill the master, kill the puppet." I rushed over to him to check up on him and it wasn't good. The drug was already taking effect and his entire body was in a spasm, coughing out blood too.

"Ma'am…." Omaeda said. "When did you achieve bankai?"

"This is not the time Omaeda…" I said with a hint of anger. This wasn't the time or the place and Matsuo was the bigger issue here.

"Oh…..sorry….." my third seat said with a look of apology on his face as he turned his focus back towards Matsuo.

"Omaeda, head back towards Sereitei with Matsuo….it's his only chance….."

"But ma'am!"

"Or would you rather have him die?"

"But….."

"No buts…he will die unless you take him back…..I'll take care of the enemy and bring Soi Fon taichou back…."

Omaeda looked at me, no doubt having a hard time understanding my decision. Well, if the enemy's plan was to infiltrate Sereitei using one of our own, there was no point in having both of us heading to the enemy hideout…..if both of us had died no one would be present to warn them of the oncoming danger. I had to be the one to go as the gulf between my powers and Omaeda's was too big. I would have a better chance of rescuing Soi Fon taichou. If I had died at least Omaeda would be present to warn Sereitei.

"Alright," Omaeda said as he finally understood the rationale for my decision.

"Take care Omaeda, I'll see you soon."

"Ma'am!" he stopped me as I was about to head off. "Take care yourself too and bring her back!"

"You can count on me!" I said with a smile of confidence.

As we said our goodbyes, we turned and headed our separate ways. Omaeda carried Matsuo on his back and sped off towards Sereitei as I rushed towards the enemy hideout….

I'm coming sis…..please be alright…taichou…

That's the end of Chapter 7! Hope you guys enjoyed it and do let me know what you guys think! Be sure that more details will be revealed in the next chapter! Do continue to read!


	8. Chapter 8

Here we go!

Chapter 8: Torment

I looked on as Omaeda made haste. He headed back to Sereitei whilst I was to head for the enemy hideout. I hope he would make it in time, otherwise, Matsuo would die….I couldn't let the thought distract me….so I fought back the negativity as I tried to concentrate on the task ahead.

My bankai had intrigued me. I felt the surge in reiatsu within me, and I knew my bankai had powers beyond my imagination. I had to see it to believe. I looked though the rifle scope, and damn was its magnifying ability scary. From where I had fought Kenji, I looked through the scope towards the direction of Sereitei. Boy was I shocked to be able to see the Sokyoku Hill from where I stood. I had to move away from the scope and shake my head to make sure I wasn't dreaming…..Imagine that…I could see targets that were two days away from my current location…..I really had the abilities to be the ultimate assassin…As for the golden mask on my face, it was to protect me from the blinding flash that was created when I pulled Sharpshooters trigger…..the intensity of light that was able to blind people on sight…just….wow…

Anyways, as soon as I could no longer see Omaeda with my own two eyes, I turned around and made my way to the enemy hideout.

Despite being rather near to my destination, I decided to look through Sharpshooters scope once more, to see if I could see what was happening in the hideout. But, nothing seemed to be going on…..a bad sign…it seemed like another trap…..but I didn't have much of a choice now, did I? So, with a hint of discomfort in my stomach, I made my way towards the hideout. Upon entering, I saw that the inside of the building was really just like an old factory, with gigantic machines and whatnot. After a more careful observation of the place, I realized that the factory also contained huge test tube like chambers, with a sickly green liquid inside of them. A multitude of wires were connected to these tubes as well.

"No doubt for their mind controlled puppets," I thought to myself.

After looking for a while more, I had decided that perhaps the enemy leader wasn't even here. The place seemed void of life and I was about to up and leave when I detected a familiar presence. Upon turning around, I finally found her…

"TAICHOU!" I yelled as I rushed over to hug my sister. To be able to see her in the flesh once again after what seemed like ages was a relief. I reached Soi Fon taichou and gave her a huge hug.

"Ma'am…..I thought…..I thought I'd lost you…..sis…"

However, I received no response. I let go of her and took a step back as I placed my hands on her shoulders to give her a little shake.

"Ma'am…..are you alright?"

My worst nightmare had just been realized. As I removed my hands from her shoulders, Soi Fon taichou began to move. Slowly reaching for her zanpakuto, she grabbed in and in an instant, aimed a slash at me. Instinctively, I made a back flip to dodge the attack and took Sharpshooter to point it towards my big sister as I landed.

"MA'AM! What do you think you're doing?" I yelled.

I stared my big sister down and realized that she seemed somewhat off. As I stared into her eyes, I realized that they looked, well, weird. She displayed a look that showed no emotion and it seemed like her soul was gone…

"AHAHAHAHA!" someone laughed.

"Who goes there?" I screamed.

Just then, a man jumped off from a balcony that was several floors higher and landed right beside Soi Fon taichou.

"I'm sure that if you've made it this far, you should know who I am and what I do, no?"

"Gotoku," I replied. "And you intend to infiltrate Sereitei, using us shinigamis to do your dirty work."

"That's right, and yet you seemed surprised that your own captain attacked you?"

That means that….oh no…..I should have seen it coming…Soi Fon taichou was turned into a puppet of this Gotoku person…why did this have to happen…..

"Fool," he said as he stood by Soi Fon taichous side as he gently ran his fingers down the side of her cheeks.

"Why you son of a bitch!" I was infuriated as Gotoku made that gesture. How dare he touch my big sister like that…

"A foul mouth now, are we?"

"You bastard…"

"Not happy? Do something about it," Gotoku said with an evil grin,

"I will."

Without hesitation, I did, I believe, something Gotoku did not expect me to do. I rushed out of the factory into the nearby forest, hoping that Gotoku would give chase. I wanted to avoid a fight within the factory at all costs. I hadn't seen it but I could feel it…the statistics from the test backed me up too…..my shikai was already 90% of a captains bankai …so what level would my bankai be at? 200% of a captains bankai then? If I were to fire a shot using Sharpshooter in my bankai state, the impact would be so great that if it were to hit anything or anyone, the factory would crumble and crash down upon us. Likewise, if Gotoku made Soi Fon taichou activate her bankai and utilize Jakuho Raikoben, the explosion created would be too great for the factory's foundation to sustain. Thankfully, Gotoku did indeed give chase. I ran and ran until we approached a clearing that was several hundred metres away from the hideout.

"Why retreat little girl?" Gotoku said with an evil smile.

"Firstly, the name's Keiko. Secondly, it was a battle tactic you idiot."

"Haha, if you say so little girly."

He was really starting to piss me off when suddenly, Soi Fon taichou leapt towards me aiming to cut me again. I saw it coming though, and I raised both my arms to lock her hand so she couldn't swing her zanpakuto at me. With her hand now locked in my grasp, I twisted myself so that I was now in a position to throw Soi Fon taichou over me, which I did. She landed with a loud thud on the hard ground as I now charged towards Gotoku. However, he clearly was unwilling to fight me himself, as he utilized his power of the elements to summon a lightning bolt to strike the ground in front of me to halt my advance. Before I knew it, Soi Fon taichou was on to me again. Slash after slash, she was relentless in her assault.

"Taichou, snap out of it! It's me! Keiko!" I tried talking some sense into her as the sparks flew when Suzemebachis blade striked my rifle as I maneuvered Sharpshooter to block the oncoming strikes.

"Fool!" Gotoku said. "She can't hear you!"

Damn it…as I continued to dodge her attacks, I finally found an opening which allowed me to deliver a series of quick punches to my sisters stomach. Aiming to distant herself from me, she aimed a slash at me once more. Once again, I saw the move coming and I raised my arms up to block the strike by locking her hands, before I used the momentum to disarm Soi Fon taichou before I delivered a huge, jumping, roundhouse kick to her jaw which sent her flying.

"Impressive," Gotoku commented. "Not even a scratch on you."

"Hmph….."

Again, I charged towards Gotoku. Repeatedly, he summoned multiple lightning bolts to stop me in my tracks. I searched for other angles to attack but to no avail. I was extremely fed up at this point but I knew I had to take a breather. Thus, I stopped several metres away from Gotoku as I stared him down.

"Coward."

"My dear young lady," Gotoku said. "It's a battle tactic," he said to use my own words against me before letting out a huge evil grin.

"Damn you…."

I looked around at his surroundings to find another means to attack. Alas, I took too long. Before I knew it, Soi Fon taichou was on the move again.

"Jinteki Shakusetsu, Suzumebachi."

I heard her activate her shikai and immediately, I moved and jumped away from where I stood. However, I was too late and as soon as I landed, I noticed that a giant homonka formed on my right cheek.

"One more hit and you're dead," Gotoku commented and laughed as Soi Fon taichou stood by his side.

"Why you…"

I had to be real careful now. If my big sister were to touch me again, I was sure to die. Damn it….what was I to do? Before I knew it, my captain came at me again and that was when it hit me. Kido…..I wasn't really good at it yet but I had to try. Quickly, I took a shot as a yellow light fired from Sharpshooters barrel, making contact with Soi Fon taichou. As soon as it did, my big sister became imprisoned by six rods of yellow light, instantly immobilizing her.

"Kido huh? That was unexpected," Gotoku said.

"It's you and I now, you bastard," I said. I knew I had to end the fight fast. Me, being only a novice at kido, coupled with the fact that my sister was a Captain leveled shinigami, there was no telling how quickly she would free herself from her binding.

With haste, I rushed forward to try my luck at hand to hand combat. Gotoku though, had summoned the power of fire this time around as he shot multiple streams of fire at me. I blasted my way through the fire, creating a huge big smoke cloud in the process. I emerged from it though and leapt towards Gotoku's face, giving him a hard left cross which knocked out a few teeth from his mouth as his blood flew out. I followed up the attack, but this time, he used the power of lightning again to prevent me from going closer to him.

"You're not going to win like this," I said this time as it was my turn to tease Gotoku.

Finishing his sentence, he whirled his hands around in a circular motion as u saw him gathering electricity. He then shot wave after wave at me but it was easy for me to dodge them and before he knew it, he was at the receiving end of a huge uppercut from me. He crashed into a tree before landing on the ground below him. He crashed into a tree before landing on the ground below him. I approached him and pointed Sharpshooter against his head, ready to pull the trigger at any time.

"Any last words?"

"HAHAHAHAHA," Gotoku laughed maniacally.

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you."

"Silly girl…..you think I'd be defeated this easily?"

"Why not?" I said trying to act arrogant.

"Foolish pride will get you nowhere you little bitch. Why finish you off now when it'll be more enjoyable to just cripple you emotionally before finishing you off?"

"What the heck are you talking about?"

"See for yourself," Gotoku said as he pointed behind me.

I turned around and I was absolutely petrified by what I saw. Soi Fon taichou had freed herself, and she had placed Suzumebachi just before the middle of her forehead, where another homonka was already present. He was going to make my big sister commit suicide? That sneaky son of a bitch!

"That's right," Gotoku said as I backed off. "Not so cocky now, are we?"

I was in a dilemma….I couldn't bear to hurt my sister and at the same time, I couldn't go after Gotoku, otherwise, he would have made Soi Fon taichou kill herself…damn…Before I knew it, I found myself receiving a hard straight from Gotoku and I landed hard on the ground behind me. Repeatedly, he kicked and stomped me before he got my big sister to join in as well, aiming slash after slash at me after she had powered down from her shikai.

"Stupid bitch! Curse you shinigamis! Think that you all are so big and whatnot…how does it feel to have the tables turned!?" Gotoku yelled as I felt the anger surge from him.

Soon after, he backed away and summoned the power of fire once more to try and burn me to death. Instinctively, I gathered my reiatsu around me to create a shield to protect myself from the flames. He heightened the intensity of the fire and I was starting to feel the burns already.

"Not giving up huh? No matter. Take this!"

With that, he summoned the power of water this time and made it rain heavily down upon us. He gathered the water and created a huge tidal wave and sent it crashing down upon me. I tried getting out of the way but I was too slow. The waves crashed down upon me with such force that it bruised almost every part of my body and I couldn't help but let the water enter my mouth and into my lungs, preventing me from breathing regularly.

"Still alive? You won't be soon."

Now, Gotoku utilized the power of lightning as he sent multiple lightning bolts down upon me to shock and try and electrocute me. I screamed and screamed as the electricity shocked me constantly. I was sure…that if this continued on for any longer, I would be dead in a matter of minutes.

"AHHHHHHHH! STOP IT! AH….AHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed in pain as the torture continued.

"Screams of anguish….music to my ears," Gotoku said.

He was relentless in his torture and soon, I felt my body starting to give way. I was at my limits and I was sure I was going to die soon…..My vision started to fade away and my breathing had slowed dramatically…I could also feel my pulse becoming more faint by the second…..When he finally stopped shocking me, my body was twitching all over uncontrollably.

"Told you not to be too cocky you bitch. You're too weal now for the drug to make you my puppet so I guess I'll just kill you eh? AHAHAHAHA."

This was it…my last moments…..he approached me and I was prepared to meet my end….My whole life flashed before my eyes and if I were to die right here and now after the transition from an orphan girl to one of the most remarkable shinigmais to have ever existed…..I was satisfied…..I closed my eyes waiting for the end to come when I was suddenly reminded of the technique I tried that day…..alright…my last chance to end this.

"A worthy adversary, little girl," Gotoku said as he lifted my body off the floor via a chokehold and he held me in mid-air.

"Goodbye," he said while he summoned Soi Fon taichou to finish me off, adding insult to my death. She grabbed her zanpakuto, placing the tip of the blade against the part of my chest where my heart was. Slowly, she drove it through my chest and my heart, before the blade passed through to the other side of my body. I raised my head up in shock as blood poured from my mouth before my head fell and my eyes shut close for the final time.

"See you, little girl….BWAHAHAHAHA."

I was sure that I saw Soi Fon taichou tear a little as my life slowly slipped away from me…..perhaps…she was conscious of what she was doing….Just as planned, Gotoku was where I wanted him to be….

"Goodbye you bastard…..who's the cocky one now?"

"What the…" Gotoku said as he stared at me. "How are you still….."

I didn't let him finish. From where I hid, I pulled the trigger and watched his entire body get blown to smithereens and watched was the pressure crumbled the factory's foundation as it came crashing down to the ground….Damn was my bankai strong….His blood flew everywhere and some of it even got onto my face even though I was high up in a tree that was quite some distance away. The bastard got what was coming to him. He thought that he had me but boy did he thought wrong…what he didn't know was that I had perfectly utilized my shunpo clone to take my place as I shunpoed far behind up into a tree to wait for the perfect chance to take my shot…..Thankfully though, I didn't have to wait long for an opportunity or I might have been died from my injuries by the time I took a shot….Also, I was grateful that my clone did not vanish into thin air the last time I attempted the technique…

"Taichou…..I'm coming…"

I jumped off the tree and landed on the ground to search for Soi Fon taichou…..She had been blown away from the sheer intensity of my bankais power…..Damn was it extremely difficult to even move my body…..I sustained too many major injuries and even though I had won the battle, I wasn't sure if I could even reach Sereitei alive…..My body still twitched from the electricity flowing through me and my lungs were filled with large amounts of water, making it terribly hard for me to breathe….My wounds were deep and still bled profusely…..I dragged myself to where Soi Fon taichou was only to find her body displaying the same signs similar to Matsuo…..her body in a spasm and coughing out blood and what not…..

"Taichou….." I struggled to say. "We're…we're going home now….."

I powered down from my bankai to make it easier for myself to move about and summoned whatever strength that I had left and fireman's lifted my big sister up onto my shoulders. Slowly, with Soi Fon taichou on my shoulders, I struggled towards Sereitei. After what seemed like ages, my body had finally reached its limit as I collapsed to the floor.

"Sorry…..Soi Fon taichou…."I struggled to say as I crawled and used my right hand to try and drag myself to reach my big sister after she fell off. "I've…..I've failed you…."

With that, my hand fell down and my eyes shut close as I took one last breath as my life departed from me.

That's the end of Chapter 8! How'd you guys like it? I had intended for this to be the penultimate chapter of the story but I've decided to expand it more! Be sure there's more to come! Do let me know what you guys think!


	9. Chapter 9

A lot of dialogue in this one but it's to build up to the climax of the story! So, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Ordeal

"Not good…..not good…."

"Now that I don't have access to much of my equipment, it's unlikely that they'll survive."

"But Unohana taichou! You've got to try!"

"Don't worry. I'll do my utmost best."

After I had defeated Gotoku and rescued Soi Fon taichou, I hadn't a clue as to where I was. I remembered collapsing as I made my way back to Sereitei, but then, everything went black. But it wasn't before long before I saw him again.

"Keiko, you're going to be alright."

I felt extremely weak as I opened my eyes to find myself being carried like a baby by Sharpshooter. I tried talking but I couldn't. My strength and energy had depleted and I was as defenseless as baby that had just been born. Luckily, I had such a caring weapon spirit in Sharpshooter. He laid me down on a couch as he began to speak.

"I had every confidence that you'd survive…..but…..that was a close shave….don't worry me like that again…" he said as he leaned in to hug me.

He got up and got a wet cloth to clean my wounds. Each time the cloth made contact with me, it burned me so badly and I wanted to scream in pain. Again, I was so drained that I couldn't do a thing despite me being in complete agony. All I could do was let a few tears stream down my face and once again, Sharpshooter was there for me.

"I'm spry, but I have to do this. It's all I can do for you, considering the limitations of any weapon spirit."

I wanted to thank him so much but I couldn't…..I had to make it up to him when I got better…if I got better…..I had no idea if I'd actually survive…even though it did make me feel better, what Sharpshooter actually did would have much further limitations in the real world. The transition of any physical help received from any shinigamis inner state to the real world wasn't great…there was only so much a weapon spirit could do after all…but I was ever so grateful for him always there being there to look after and take care of me….

"You really are a gem, you know that?" Sharpshooter said as he smiled and stared into my eyes.

"Promise me you'll make it through this," he said as he bent downwards me this time to peck me lightly on my forehead with his lips. As he left, he stood up and stared at me once more before he spoke again.

"It's time for you to wake up soon. I'll see you around."

With that, he turned around and walked away as he became engulfed in a brilliant white light.

I opened my eyes and found myself lying on a nice, cool carpet. I was breathing through a mask, and I was still too weak to move about. I tried scanning around only to see that I wasn't in the infirmary of Sereitei. Rather, it seemed as though I was in a tree house or something of the sort, with a wooden ceiling and branches making up the walls. Son, Isane, Unohana taichous Vice Captain, walked into the room.

"Ma'am, she's awake," she said.

Soon, Unohana taichou walked in as well.

"Hello there, Keiko."

Well, I wanted to say something, but obviously, I couldn't. I was still hurt pretty badly. Since I was under Unohana taichous care, I must have survived but still, so many questions were on my mind. For instance, was Soi Fon taichou alive? And where the heck was I?

"I'll tell you more when you can speak. I don't want to burden you, since you're not totally out of danger yet. Isane, if you will."

"Yes ma'am."

With that, Isane walked over to my side and injected something into me, making me fall into a deep sleep once again.

2 Months Later…..

I finally awoke from my deep sleep slumber and found that I was finally well enough to move about. Despite the multiple bandages wrapped around my torso area and my body feeling extremely weak, I could still ustilise enough energy to slowly move about. I found that I was still in the same room as I was before. Strange…why wasn't I in Sereitei? Surely those taking care of me would know that Sereitei was better equipped to deal with the injured? I was about to exit the room as Unohana taichou walked in.

"Hey sleepy head!" she said with a smile. "You've been asleep for a long time. And you shouldn't be walking around by yourself just yet. Come, sit down and we'll talk," Unohana taichou said as she directed me onto a couch and offered me a cup of hot tea.

"Well, where should I begin?"

I kept silent. I didn't feel like speaking. I gave the captain a look as if to say 'did it matter'?

"Haha, alright, you're not in the mood. Well, let's start when we first found you. When the search party found you and your captain, you were both in such bad conditions…..well, you were far worse off but still…..we thought neither of you would make it."

"And?"

"I cared for you and Soi Fon taichou as best I could under the current circumstances and thankfully, both of you made it. Remember before just now, you woke up and were still not well enough to even speak?"

"Yeah….what about it?"

"You awoke after about a month and since then, another two months have gone by."

"WHAT?" I screamed in shock and spat out some tea…..I had been asleep for three months?

"Yes. Your injuries were so severe that we were unsure if you were ever going to wake up."

"Then…..what about my sister?"

"Don't worry about her. She's fine. The poison in her body required an advanced kidou technique that only a handful of people know about to be removed. Although we removed it in time, she had been badly hurt by the effects of the poison and required intensive care. Like I said, she's fine now."

"May I see her?"

"You may but you can't. She's out on patrol."

"Should she be out on patrol after only just recovering?"

"That leads me to my next point as to why we're not in Sereitei…"

At this point, the atmosphere in the room changed. Unohana taichou dropped her head and I could tell that we were about to have a serious conversation. Her gaze finally met mine once again before she spoke.

"Sereitei's been taken over."

"WHAT?" I yelled once again and my eyes widened in horror with my jaw wide open as I dropped the cup I was holding.

"But….I mean….how?"

"Chiasa had been poisoned as well, and we didn't know until it was too late. She poisoned Omaeda too and he used his position as a high ranked officer to grant Kaede entry into Sereitei."

"Who is…..this Kaede?"

"Yamamoto taichou's former Vice Captain who was banished about 200 years ago."

"And…..why was he banished?"

"He planned to take over Sereitei and use it for his own evil deeds. He wanted Soutaichou to join him. Of course, Yamamoto wasn't having any of it and he banished him."

"But how could just one shinigami take over Sereitei?"

"We don't know for sure but we suspect it's his zanpakuto's ability to control people somehow…..plus the drug that's been passed around certainly doesn't help much…..Komamura taichou had already falled into his grasp."

Damn….this wasn't good at all…Seireitei had been captured and a captain had already been poisoned and forced to work with the enemy…..I needed more information…

"So what's the situation now?"

"Kaede has formed a barrier around the whole of Sereitei. As such, Yamamoto taichou had ordered all squads to patrol a certain area outside the perimeter of Sereitei, to see if any of Kaede's goons were up to no good."

"But I don't get it…..why doesn't Soutaichou go in himself and get the job done given the current situation? Or send any other captains for that matter? Surely there must be a way past that barrier."

"We've tried but its impossible to break through the barrier. Kaede had made it such that only he and those who are under him to pass through. Plus, if Komamura had already been infected, there's no telling what he could do to other captains…"

"And?"

"He wants to find out more about Kaede's ability, before he makes a decision. He doesn't want to take any unnecessary risks just in case another captain is infected."

"I see….."

"Imagine if all captains were to be infected…..we wouldn't want that now would we?"

"Then…..why doesn't Kaede go on the offensive?"

"He's waiting to gather more manpower, more experienced and more powerful shinigamis. He has already gathered a good number of rather powerful individuals, I would say. Our strength was rather good initially, but our numbers have been dwindling in the past month. More and more of our own have fallen into his traps."

"I see…..what a sneaky son of a bitch."

"Yeah. Anyways, that's all I have to tell you. You're not fit for duty yet so don't do anything rash and make sure you rest well. Soi Fon taichou will be back soon so sit tight until she gets here."

"Alright….thanks….for everything Unohana taichou."

"Welcome."

Just when I thought it was all over. Damn it…..why did this have to happen…..It looked as if thought another huge battle was coming. Hopefully, I didn't need to be involved in it but I knew that the odds were against me. One way or another, I knew was going to be dragged into more trouble. I was pacing up and down the room thinking about what was to come when Soi Fon taichou came into the room.

"Sis!" I yelled as I ran towards her despite the pain before I fell to my knees. "I…..I…..I thought that id lost you…." I said as the tears trickled down my cheeks.

Soi Fon taichou, likewise, fell to her knees to peck me on the top of my head before she pulled me in to hug me tightly.

"Silly girl…." she said. " I won't ever leave you. You know what…..Besides…..I…..I….." Soi Fon taichou struggled to say as, like me before, tears began to fall down her cheeks as well. "I thought that I'd lost you too….."

"Ma'am…."

"Do you know….know…how hard it was for me to watch you just lie down there like that? Not knowing whether you'd ever wake up?"

"I'm sorry…ma'am….."

"Don't be…I should be the one apologizing….After all, I helped cause these horrible injuries of yours…I was aware of what I was doing but I couldn't control my actions and I nearly killed you…..please….please…..forgive me!"

She let loose a fountain of tears and I could actually feel them soaking the back of my clothes…..she was really upset…..Never had I seen my captain in such a state before….

"It's…it's okay," I said as I began to try and console her. "It wasn't your fault….it's all over now…..Let's just let bygones be bygones," I said as I tightened my hug.

"Alright…..this is…..this is good…Now….we can move on…."

"Yeah…that's right….."

"Well," my sister said as she picked herself off the floor and extended her hand to help me up. "Shall we?"

"Shall we what?"

"Walk around the area? I mean, you've been asleep for 3 months….you haven't seen around the place right?"

"The place?"

"Yeah, I mean, you haven't seen outside of this room before since we evacuated Sereitei?"

"Oh….yeah….."

"Right. So let me show you around where we shinigamis live around now. It's just a forested area with small huts and whatnot but you should still know the area well."

"Ok…"

"Let's go then!"

With that, Soi Fon taichou helped pull me up and guided me in my weak state as we exited the medical hut to walk around the place. However, I could feel the tension in her hand which led me to believe that the coming times were going to be rough and that she was afraid considering all that's happened so far? Don't worry sis….we're here for each other now…..we will make it through.

That's the end of Chapter 9! Sorry this chapter took a little long. I fell sick so yeah. Regardless, hope you guys enjoyed this and do continue to read and let me know what you feel as the story approaches its end!


	10. Chapter 10

Hi guys. Apologies once again for this late post. Been rather busy lately. Well, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter 10: Unprecedented

I was finally well enough to resume my duties again, albeit I wasn't at a hundred percent. Numerous bandages were still wrapped around my torso for the wounds hadn't completely healed yet and a few bruises still remained. Nonetheless, I tried not to let that bother me too much and I just carried on doing what I did. I patrolled the 2nd Division's designated area with my subordinates and occasionally, Soi Fon taichou as well. Although it was of utmost importance that I carried out my duties, it was still the most mundane of tasks as nothing happened…what a bore…..

It was around noon and the division was having our meal together when my sister came and sat down next to me.

"You feel it….no?" she said.

"Yeah….I do…"

"You know, you shouldn't let that show on your face…we don't want to let the rest find out."

"It's…..that obvious?"

"Yeah. The way you walk, the way your face looks. Calm down more…..ok?"

"Yes ma'am."

With that brief conversation done, we proceeded to continue with our meals. I hadn't notice that about myself, letting what was going on in my heads show through my actions. It had been a while since intel reported any strange activities coming from Kaede and it did get the Captains and Vice Captains worried. We thought that he was preparing to finally go on the offensive and we had no idea what exactly he was capable of. However, I took Soi Fon taichous words into mind and tried to keep my emotions in check, anyways, as we ate, the division shared a moment as a few of my subordinates began to gossip.

"Did you hear, did you?"

"Yeah I did! Apparently, they say that he's been eyeing her for quite a while now."

"Since when?"

"The assessment day, from what I heard."

"That long?"

"Yup!"

They continued on for a while and I realized that soon after, Soi Fon taichou began to smile to herself and giggle a bit. Clearly, I was missing something and I just had to ask.

"Uh…what are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing ma'am….nothing!" he replied me.

His reply didn't seem convincing at all and so I probed.

"Come on, you're lying."

"Really ma'am!"

"Why do you insist on withholding the truth from me?"

"Uh…..uh….."

At this, this particular subordinate of mine began to perspire slightly due to his nervousness. He was shaking about and stared around at his fellow subordinates for answers as I focused my gaze on him and was probably afraid that I was going to get angry. But, I was more frustrated than angry. I mean, if it did involve me, I deserved to know. I continued to stare him down and he continued to withdraw into a reclusive shell he had built around himself. Before long, Soi Fon taichou spoke.

"It's alright, I'll tell her."

"But ma'am….."

"What's going on?" I said as I turned my attention towards my sister.

"Rumour has it that someone's got an eye on you," she said as she winked at me.

"What?"

"You heard me. Apparently, while you were still unconscious, he was the most frequent visitor you had, according to Unohana taichou."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Who is this guy?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that.

"Why not!? After what you just told me?"

"Well, you deserve to know the facts, but I wouldn't want to harm that guy's confidence or anything if you were to know who he was."

"But ma'am….."

"No buts."

"Hmph…fine….." I said as I conceded defeat and blew the top of my fringe.

There was no way I could break Soi Fon taichou so I decided to just leave it. Still, it was flattering to know that someone had their eyes on me. It was, in a way, comforting with all the chaos going on. But, of course, I wasn't going to find him or anything. It wasn't the right time. Besides, I wasn't supposed to know so like what my sister said earlier, I didn't want to ruin his confidence. Well, I guess I just had to wait for my mystery man then. Anyways, I was just about done with lunch and so I left the table and headed off to our makeshift headquarters. It had been a long time since I got any training done so I decided to grab Sharpshooter and made my way to the edge of the Gotei 13's improvised training area.

"Right," I said to myself. "Let's get to it!"

One by one, as soon as the target boards got up, they were downed in an instant and with the robots charging towards me, I was more than able to take them out with my bare hands. Of course, it required some dodging and other evasive maneuvers to do so but it was all too easy. As I landed from finishing off the last robot, I sensed a presence from behind me. I turned to face this person and I tried to take aim at one of his or her limbs, I couldn't tell if it was a guy or girl yet, to disable him or her before I would go on to carry out an interrogation. Alas, the masked person was too quick before I knew it, Sharpshooter was knocked out of my hand.

"Damn, this bitch is fast."

The assailant, without hesitation, charged towards me. I managed to grab hold of her, well, I was pretty sure now that it was a her after making contact, arm and threw her against a tree. But, with cat like reflexes, she managed to use the momentum to turn and land with all fours on the tree, before pushing off to launch herself towards me. I didn't see it coming and soon after, I was at the end of a hard cross from the masked assailant. I landed hard on the ground behind me but I recovered quickly and performed a kick up before I crouched to take up a defensive position. She came at me again but this time, I was ready for her. Charging at me, I managed to use her own momentum against her and grabbed both her arms and I lay down so that fell down with me before I raised my leg to kick her in her stomach area which caused her to make a 360 flip in the air before she crashed her back against the solid ground. I wanted to pounce on top of her but boy was she fast. She had already gotten up from the fall and she aimed a series or rapid front and side kicks at me. I sued my arms to block her attacks but they started to bruise with the kicks coming at me with such force. I finally found an opening to go on the offensive and with one swift uppercut to her jaw, she was stunned and I proceeded to deliver a series or rapid pinches to her chest area. Strike after strike, she managed to step back and avoid contact each and every time…..she was really fast…..I continued the attack and patiently waited for an opportunity to present itself. Before long, a split in her movements was exposed and I took this chance to deliver a front kick to her mid-section before I delivered a standing roundhouse kick to the side of her cheek which sent her flying. I wanted to just beat her senseless but as soon as I had pounced on top of her, she spoke.

"Stop!" she said in a firm manner.

That voice….no…no…..it couldn't be her….

I got off her and took a few steps back in astonishment. As I stared and backed away from her, she pulled off her mask, revealing herself to be none other than Soi Fon taichou.

"Surprised you, didn't I?" she said with a chuckle.

"Taichou!" I screamed in shock. How could I attack my captain….my sister no less…..that was totally unforgiveable!

"Taichou, forgive me!" I said as I genuflected and bowed my head in apology. There was no way I was going to get off the hook this easily…

"It's alright," she said as she helped me to my feet. "It was just a test to see your hand to hand combat skills. They've improved by leaps and bounds. You should be very proud."

"Ma'am?"

"I wanted to fight you to test you. Of course, I went slightly easier on you but still, very impressive. You can take it easy. Don't worry, I won't punish you."

"But…but….I laid my hands on you…"

"Which I wanted you to do. You'll be better than me in no time at all. Relax, alright?"

"Ye….uh…okay ma'am."

"I still love you," she said as she came over to hug me.

"I love you too," I said as I reciprocated her gesture with a hug of my own.

With that, we walked together out of the training area and made our way back to headquarters to rest. Thankfully, I wasn't going to be punished for my actions, which I still deemed unforgiveable and deeply regretted. Nonetheless, it was all over and I was glad that my sister was happy. But please taichou….don't scare me like that again…..

Later That Evening

We were just done with our dinner and I knew it was about time to head out. Soi Fon taichou and I were heading back to our makeshift headquarters to get ready.

"Alright, Keiko, I'll see you in an hour. Don't be late!"

"Yes ma'am!"

As she left me, I headed off into my private quarters to prepare for my duty and rest up a bit as well. Funny, despite me being in pain whenever I moved due to my injuries which hadn't completely healed yet, I felt nothing at all whenever I was battling. Boy did I need that adrenaline rush. Tossing myself onto my bed, I took a quick nap and before I knew it, it was already time to meet my sister. So I got up, grabbed my gear and proceeded to meet Soi Fon taichou as instructed.

"Had a good nap now did we?"

"Ma'am?"

"Your hair is in a mess," she said with a smile.

"Oh….ah…." how embarrassing I must have looked. I glided my fingers across my hair to indeed feel that it was all frazzled up.

"Let me get that for you," Soi Fon taichou said as she came over to comb my hair.

"Much better."

"Th…th….."

"You're welcome," she said as she smiled at me once more.

I started to realise that Soi Fon taichou was always smiling when she was with me. at other times, she was always this stern looking woman who never seemed to know the meaning of fun. Despite this, I couldn't help but think of how embarrassed I must have looked just now….why did this have to happen….but I guess I was glad that it made my sister happy…

"Let's get a move on!"

"Yes ma'am!"

We started our patrolling duties and what a bore it was…nothing happened. We passed the time by having some small talk here and there but that was pretty much about it. We were about to head back and that was when things started to get funny. Behind from where we were, a strange aura could be felt and neither Soi Fon taichou nor myself could figure out what it was.

"Let's go investigate," she said.

"Alright."

Cautiously, we approached the source of this aura only to find that it was a mysterious glow coming from the barrier that surrounded Sereitei.

"Ma'am! What should we do?" I asked with concern.

"Let's back off and report this to….."

Suddenly, the glow got more intense and it started to enlarge at a rapid pace. Before we knew it, we were engulfed by this large mass of energy.

"What…..what's going on?" I yelled in fear.

"Just calm down let's….."

Cutting my sister off mid-sentence, the energy we were surrounded in got even stronger as she let out a huge gasp. We were both taken by surprise. At this, we huffed and puffed as we struggled to try and break free of this hold. Try and try we did but to no avail and before we knew it, we both blacked out and we couldn't recall what happened.

Soi Fon taichou regained consciousness first and immediately, she tried to wake me up.

"Keiko! Keiko!" she tried to shake me awake. "Wake up!"

My eyes stared to slowly flutter open and I was taken by surprise. I removed Sharpshooter from his holster and just took aim.

"Who goes there?" I said in fear of what had just happened to me.

"Relax," Soi Fon taichou said as she hugged me to calm me down.

"Ma'am?" I shot her an inquisitive look and placed Sharpshooter back into his holster.

Slowly distancing herself from me, she looked around us to try and figure out where exactly we were.

"Are we in…."

"Sereitei," I completed her sentence for her.

"That means…the glow just now…..a portal to the inside?"

"Looks that way."

"Hmm…," Soi Fon taichou said as she paused to think. "Alright, let's try and break the barrier!"

With that, my sister and I tried our best to break the barrier from the inside. Slash and slash and shot after shot, the barrier showed no signs of breaking at all.

"No good," my sister said. "It's still as strong as ever."

"Then….what should we do?"

"Looks like we don't have a choice. To cover more ground, we should split up and search for anything that might be beneficial to us."

"Alright...then….how long should we search?"

"Hmmm…..let's meet back here in an hour and we'll report if we find anything suspicious."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Take care, Keiko."

"Thanks, you too ma'am!" I said as I ran over to hug her.

After saying our goodbyes, we went our separate ways and proceeded to search this unfamiliar place which we once called home.

That's the end of Chapter 10! Thanks so much for reading! I'll try to update the story as soon as I can. My schedule isn't clearing up yet Anyways, as usual, do let me know what you guys feel!


	11. Chapter 11

Hi guys. This chapter is a bit confusing as there will be conversations within conversations. So, if you guys see "…" in the story, this means that a conversation is taking place between characters. If you see '…..' instead, this denotes that Keiko is having a conversation in her inner state. I hope you guys do understand what I'm saying. Well, you'll see later on in the story exactly what I mean. With that said, enjoy this next chapter in the story!

Chapter 11: Darkness

As I walked through the streets and alleys of Sereitei, I noticed that nothing much had changed. The foundation of the structures were still intact and nothing was really out of the ordinary. Except for the fact that a dark aura had surrounded every inch of the place, making it seem as though Sereitei was a nesting place for the wicked and evil. It was just so…..void of life. It made me feel goosebumps throughout my entire body and I was pretty sure that someone or some people, were just lying in wait to jump out and ambush me.

'Sharpshooter….this place is giving me the creeps.'

'I know, don't worry. I'm here for you.'

'Thanks.'

After that brief conversation, I thought I that I had detected a familiar presence in the distance. I went on to investigate and there he was, standing about ten or so metres ahead of me as he stared me down. Captain of the 7th Division, the big bad wolf, Komamura Saijin. I had my hands on Sharpshooter, ready to pull him out of his holster in the event that Komamura was going to attack me. I lowered my body and placed one foot forward of the other, taking up a stance that was ready to pounce in an instant's notice. However, the wolf didn't do anything which was really surprising. I would have thought Kaede would command any of his minions to attack any intruder on sight. Instead, he just turned around and started walking in the other direction.

"WAIT!" I yelled at him. I was going to go after him but then, I realized that it may have been a trap. I stopped in my tracks ready to head back to discuss what we should do with my captain, but as I turned around, I saw that the entire route had been transformed. It was distorted beyond recognition, and there was no telling where I would end up. The only path that remained constant was the one Komamura taichou took. Well, people always said that if you get lost, you should stay put and wait for help. But, with Kaede seemingly able to manipulate the routes and whatnot, was there really a point for me not to move at all? As such, I decided to move on ahead and follow the wolf captain.

The path he took should have led me directly to the barracks of the 12th Division. But instead, I found myself ending up at Seireitei's headquarters. Boy was this Kaede messing up the wires in my head. I tried my best to shake it off and focus on the task ahead. I soon realized though, that Komamura taichou was, suddenly, nowhere to be seen. He had vanished into thin air, or so it seemed.

'What the heck was going on….!?' I thought to myself.

My eyes started to dart around to search for clues but then, I heard an ufamiliar voice begin to speak.

"Wow…you're a strong one aren't you?"

"Who goes there!?" I shouted in anger and frustration.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Can't say the same."

This man, he was a weird one. He had his hands in his pockets the entire time. his standard black shinigami outfit had many tears in it and walked with a strange hunch on his back. He had wavy hair that reached his shoulders, and eyes that showed pretenses of innocence that masqueraded a deep, darker look of evil.

"Let me guess…..Kaede….right?"

"Perceptive now are we? That's right. Hayakawa Kaede. And you are?"

Like I was going to tell him my name…

"That's rude you know. You should introduce yourself too."

"Yeah right….spare the lecture will you? So are we going to fight or what?"

"Hmm….." he said with a sickening smile. "If you want to play, I'll play."

Attempting to get a cheap shot in on me, he shunpoed right after had finished talking to get close to me. However, he was too slow and couldn't react in time as I predicted the move and he flew straight into a fist of mine. Judging from the way he held his nose and by how the blood poured from his nostrils, it was safe to say that I had broken his nose. This had infuriated him and he came at me. Once again, he wasn't up to par and I could easily take small steps back and maneuver my body to dodge his advances, having had enough, I grabbed his leaning arm and pulled him towards me before I twisted my hip to help myself judo throw him over my body. He landed several metres behind me and crashed hard onto the tiled floor with such impact that multiple cracks were formed.

"Ugh….," Kaede grunted in discomfort as he slowly picked himself up. "You're strong for a little girl."

"You have no idea who you're dealing with."

"Is that so? Well then, let's take it up a notch, shall we? Confuse, puppeteer!"

He had activated his shikai but it didn't impress me one bit. There was a surge in his reiatsu levels but mine still completely overpowered his. Besides the surge in his energy, the blade of his zanpakuto had transformed as well. It now resembled the shape of a giant hook, or a giant question mark. I couldn't really tell which, and it's not as if it mattered anyway.

"Let's see how my luck is."

"What the heck are you talking about?" I asked. "Your blade is totally not suited for battle. How are you going to kill anyone with that?"

"Why don't you come and find out for yourself?"

"Gladly."

I charged towards him aiming to get in a point blank shot. However, as I approached him, his zanpakuto had vapourised into some sort of gas. I didn't see this coming and I had inhaled whatever the gas was. I shunpoed away from him as quickly as I could in fear of what the effect or effects of the gas were.

"DAMN YOU!" I yelled in frustration.

"Don't get too cocky now."

"What did you just do to me!?"

"My shikai. It creates a gas that when inhaled by the enemy, makes them lose any one of their five senses at random."

"What!?"

"That's right…..and judging from how you are, you must have lost your sense of taste….lucky you."

I hated to admit it, but he was right. I tried moving my tongue around and that was when I realized that I couldn't taste a thing at all….but I guess your sense of taste wasn't really important in a battle. This did though, keep me on my toes. If I were to breathe in the gas once more, there was no telling which one of my remaining senses I would lose…..if something important like the sense of sight was taken away, I was sure to have been at a great disadvantage.

"Count yourself lucky you little bitch."

I gave him a look that showed absolute fury as he pointed his zanpakuto at me in an overly arrogant fashion….alright….time to play it smart…..Composing myself, I too, decided to take it up a notch.

"Take your aim, Sharpshooter!"

'Let's finish this quick, Sharpshooter.'

'You got it.'

Without hesitation, I sprayed in every direction across my front. I didn't care if I damaged anything else, so long as the bastard dropped dead. I didn't manage to get a clean hit though, but a few of my shots did manage to scrape him, leaving quite a few flesh wounds. However, he masked the pain and came right at me. Aiming multiple slashes at me, I dodged right past his attacks. He was sneaky though, attempting to emit the gas each time he closed in on me. Thankfully, his movements were easy to read and I didn't breather in any more of that poison.

"Sneaky bastard."

"You've got quite the tongue for such a young one."

"Does it matter? You know, I wouldn't be talking much if I were you, considering how much you've taken already."

Kaede seemed out of it. He was sluggish and bled from his wounds, staining his outfit. Granted, the bullets only scraped him and didn't pass right through him and that was why he was still had the energy to fight. Nonetheless, he was still in quite a lot of pain and I could tell the battle was soon going to be over.

"Enough, time to finish this."

"Hmph…"

I rushed in towards him, but boy was I about to have the shock of my life. As I neared him, he had utilized his ability to manipulate Sereitei's routes and he was gone in a flash. I was stunned as well to find myself not in Sereitei's headquarters, but in the 1st Division barracks instead. Damn him and his condescending tactics….

"Come out you coward!" I yelled in anger.

I looked around my surroundings intensely, keeping an eye out for even the smallest of movements. I held Sharpshooter close, keeping my finger close to the trigger in the event that I had to fire in an instant's notice.

'I don't like this Sharshooter….'

'I know. But you need to keep a cool head.'

'Alright.'

"Show yourself!"

"Alright," Kaede suddenly said as he let out a small laugh. "It's so cute seeing you looking so confused. I'll play, but first, bankai…"

I felt another surge in his reiatsu levels, but that still couldn't even compare at all to my shikai's reiatsu levels. What worried me though was that I had no idea what powers his bankai granted him. Knowing him, he would have still multiple tricks up his sleeves.

"Condescending Trickster."

"Think you're so big and bad huh? So come out!"

"As you wish."

Then, from out of the blue, he had manipulated the surroundings again and I found myself stunned once more. I froze where I stood and from out of the blue, Kaede appeared right in front of me. He looked different, he now wore the mask of a jester and his zanpakuto changed its shape again. This time, it had transformed into a jousting lance, a weapon that seemed far more suited for combat. In the blink of an eye, his zanpakuto vapourised into a gas and I breathed in whatever this poison was. As I attempted to get a shot in, he knocked me out of the way and kicked me right across the jaw which sent me flying as I crashed hard into a nearby building.

"Now we wait…HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"What did…..what did you do to me!?" I struggled to say as I choked on the gas and labored to get up from the crash.

"Soon…"

"What….are….you…"

Then for some reason, I couldn't even hear myself speak. And soon, I couldn't even smell the scent in the air and the blood that was pouring from my mouth. Was I…losing my mind? Soon after, I couldn't even feel anything anymore. I fell to the floor and tried crawling but I witnessed Kaede walking to me as he squatted down to reach me. I thought I saw him mouth the words, "You're mine now." I tried speaking but….without my ability to hear anymore, I didn't even know if I got any words out. I tried to reach for Kaede's collar and then, everything went black and I couldn't see a thing. For the first time in my life, I felt totally and utterly useless now that all my senses were gone. The circuits in my brain were going haywire as I contemplated the reality of my very own existence, questioning if I was even alive at all. I spiraled down into the depths of despondency and I had no idea if I was ever going to get out. I had no idea where I was or what I was doing and, finally, I lost all consciousness.

Later…..

I awoke in my inner state…..or what at least I thought was my inner state…..I couldn't tell, everything around me was just so dark….I was in a state of limbo and I had no clue if I was even still alive…..perhaps…..I was dead? I walked around aimlessly through this void when suddenly, I thought I heard something.

"YOU BASTARD! What did you do?"

That voice….Soi Fon taichou!

"HAHAHA. You'll soon find out. Keiko, could you please enlighten your dear captain?"

Then, suddenly, my eyes shot open and I could see Soi Fon taichou looking at me from some distance back. I could feel again and soon after, I was able to taste and smell the scent in the air again. I was back! Or so I thought…

"Keiko, please get ready to fire upon command."

Then, I stood up and picked Sharpshooter off the floor and took aim at my sister…what the heck was going on!? I wasn't doing this, and neither did I want to do this. What was I doing listening to Kaede?

'SHARPSHOOTER! WHAT'S GOING ON?'

'It's Kaede's zanpakuto, Puppeteer! He's taken control of you!'

'WHAT!?'

"Keiko…." my sister began to say as droplets of tears started to fall down the side of her cheek as she slowly approached me. "Don't you know who I am?"

Taichou…..of course….

"Give it up! She can't hear you! She's an obedient slave of mine now!"

"How dare you!"

"It's the truth. My bankai's ability lets me eliminate all of the five senses of my target. Once the target loses them, he or she, begins to descend into oblivion as they are no longer able to even tell if they exist or not. By then which, my zanpakuto makes use of their empty vessel of a body to carry out me deeds. I guess that you can say that she's being possessed."

'WHAT!? Give me my body back! Sharpshooter, is this true?'

'I'm afraid it is…..'

"You bastard!" Soi Fon taichou shouted.

"HAHA. Once any target of mine becomes a slave, they'll remain as so even if I power down from my bankai. How else would so many other people still remain under my contro? So, don't even think that you can win that if you sealed my bankai or whatever."

"Damn it…."

"Enough talk. Keiko, go!"

I tried to fight but I was totally under Kaede's control. It didn't matter how much I resisted….I was a slave, bound to his will. I leapt forward attempting to get in a shot at my sister at point blank range. Thankfully, she managed to tumble out of the way. Kaede decided to make me try something new. I slung Sharpshooter behind me as I rushed forward to get in a series of rapid punches at my sister. She avoided them with ease but I was relentless in my pursuit. After the punches, came the kicks. High kicks, low kicks, roundhouses, you name it. It wasn't long before she gave in and a flying roundhouse of mine striked her on her jaw, sending her crashing through a few buildings.

'SHARPSHOOTER! STOP THIS! I DON'T WANT TO HURT HER!'

'I'm trying my best here! You have to fight too! Don't give up Keiko!'

"Why do you continue in refusing to give in?" Kaede said with a sickening smile as I leapt over to his side and genuflected in the direction of my sister, awaiting my next set of orders.

"Because….because," Soi Fon taichou said as she spat out some blood as a result of some internal bleeding and got up from the rubble. "I know she's…she's inside there somewhere…"

"You're never going to get her back, that, I can promise you."

"Either way I'm not going to stop trying….you bastard…."

"Hmm…..resistance is futile. I'll play…..SAJIN!"

Just as he said that, Komamura taichou landed behind Soi Fon taichou on the ground with such force that cracks formed where he landed.

"Komamura….."

"I'm going to enjoy watching you suffer. Both of you, attack!"

Once again, upon command, I executed Kaede's order. But this time, Lomamura taichou was alongside me. we tirelessly went on the attack, trying our best to kill my captain. It was a miracle she lasted this long….Strike after strike and attack after attack, she was able to dodge most of it but it was inevitable that she took a few hits. I could tell though, she wasn't going to last much longer. She limped with every step she took and she was coughing out more blood as time passed. Obvious bruises surrounded her body and her movements had slowed dramatically.

'Sharpshooter….please….I don't want to hurt her! She's going to die…..why doesn't she fight back?'

'She loves you and doesn't want to hurt you….Keiko you've got to try too! Don't let Puppeteer control you!'

'I'm trying….it's just so hard…aaaahhhhhhhh!'

"Time to switch it up…"

"What did you say?" Kaede asked Soi Fon taichou.

"I….I wasn't talking to you…"

"HAHAHA. You've gone mental if you're talking to yourself…"

As both I and Komamura taichou rushed in on her, Soi Fon taichou stopped in her tracks. We were going in for the kill, when my sister gracefully made a corkscrew flip in mid-air. Even with numerous injuries, she was still as elegant as ever when she was still in the air and gently nudged me out of the way before she made a precise strike on Komamura taichou's neck, knocking him out cold in one swift move. That took years of practice as a master assassin, and even though I wasn't in control of myself, I could still admire the movement in my mind.

"Impressive," commended Kaede as Soi Fon taichou landed. "Even with so many hits taken you still managed to pull of such a manuever. Desperate times call for desperate measures eh? You could have been killed right there and then…..AHAHAHAHA!"

"You…..you give me too little credit….where….where there's a will, there's a way….." my sister struggled to reply as she gasped for air…..she really wasn't going to last much longer…..

'Taichou….don't do this…end me if you have to! I…..I can't bear to see you like this….'

'Keiko! Don't you dare say that! She's fighting for you…..why aren't you doing the same thing for her?'

'Sharpshooter…..I….I just can't….the pain of seeing her like this….it's just too much!'

"Well, I'm just about done playing. Keiko, finish her!"

"Yes Sir…."

I went on the attack once more and was my sister the easiest of targets. She was too injured to even put up a decent fight back. I leaned in with a series of rapid punches, but Soi Fon taichou continued to amaze me as she raised her forearms in quick succession to block the blows. Then, I tried to chain a few kicks together but once again, my sister managed to avoid getting hit as she raised her knees and covered I had targeted with her hands to shield herself from a direct hit. Then, she found an opening as she grabbed one of my legs in mid-motion, before using both of her hands to flip me quite a distance over as I landed hard on the ground, belly first. But, I had recovered quickly and before she knew it, I was up and ready for another round. This time, I tried a different approach. Running at Soi Fon taichou, I slid at the last moment to ram the base of my foot against her shin. This time, she didn't anticipate the move and she jumped as her shin broke upon contact and yelled in agony before she crashed to the floor.

"This is it….," Kaede said.

"Keiko…," Soi Fon taichou said as she lay in pain on the side of her body and covered her shin. Her face showed nothing but pure suffering as she cringed her body not knowing what form of torture Kaede was going to put her through next. "Don't do this! It's me! Your sister!"

"Why don't you give it up already? I told you, there's not a chance that she can hear you!"

"No! No! I don't believe it! I know you're in there somewhere Keiko! Fight back!"

Her screams for me to resist Puppeteer's control over were in vain. I was still a submissive servant of Kaede and I was unable to do a thing. I approached Soi Fon taichou and lifted her off the floor by grabbing her throat with a single hand as I tightened my grip.

"Kei…Kei….Keiko…..st….stop this…." my sister said as I continued to choke her with her hands staying by her side not having the energy to resist.

"HAHAHA. Your time is up!"

With that, I threw my sister up in the air before I timed a jumping roundhouse kick to perfection as I striked her ribs. I could hear the bones crack upon impact and Soi Fon taichou flew back as the blood flew from her mouth before she crashed into a building that was about ten or so metres back. There was no way that she was going to get up from this. I approached her ever so slowly only to find that she was on the verge of unconsciousness.

"I'm going to kill you now," I said like Kaede commanded me to through Sharpshooter.

"Too bad that I do not have a medic with me. Otherwise, I would have made you a slave of mine too. AHAHAHAHA!" Kaede said.

"You…..son….of a bitch….."

"Keiko, finish her."

"Yes Sir."

I approached my sister and placed Sharpshooyer's muzzle against the middle of her forehead. This was it. I witnessed that Soi Fon taichou had closed her eyes as tears fell down the side of her cheek, waiting for the end to come. Taichou…..I'm so sorry…

"Goodbye….Keiko….," my sister said ever so softly.

"Finish her now!"

'Keiko! Don't you dare pull that trigger!'

'I…..can't resist!'

'So that's it? You're not going to even out up a fight?'

'I'm trying my best here!'

'Soi Fon taichou has been fighting so that you would have the time to snap out of this. And here you are going to kill her? What's the matter with you!?'

'It's just so hard…no matter how much effort I put into it, Puppeteer won't budge!'

'Then try harder! So long as you have the will to do it then you can! You've been there for her before and does she ever need you now. And she did say that if you have the will then surely there will be a way. She's encouraging you to fight back…..show to her that all the faith she's placed in you wasn't in vain!'

'You're right…..Soi Fon taichou has always been there for me and likewise…..I have been and will always be there for her!'

'That's the spirit! I've seen you overcome the odds time and time again and I believe you can do it again. It's not the size of the girl in the fight but the size of the fight in the girl! Now go and expel Puppeteer from your body and finish Kaede off!'

'You can count on me Sharpshooter! And Soi Fon taichou…..I'll make him regret all that he's done to us! Just wait a little while longer….I'm coming…."

At this, I felt a tremendous surge in energy as the memories of the times I've shared with my sister began to flow through my head.

'Ah….AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'

"Keiko, what are you doing!? Finish her now!"

"Kei…..ko?"

"Kaede…" I said as I slowly turned around and pointed Sharpshooter at him.

"Wha…how is this possible!?" he screamed in shock.

"You said that, Puppeteer's ability would make the target lose all of his or her five senses…."

"So what?"

"That's the thing. You didn't kill the person….so you can't take over the target's body entirely…..Neither did you take away the target's spirit of fight and willpower….You underestimate us…..I heard Soi Fon taichou calling for me….."

"Keiko…"

"And my weapon spirit calling for me too...reminding me that I still had to fight and never give up…So long as we are still conscious, we will fight back! Even if it's through oblivion!"

"You bitch…"

"Bakudo 61, Rikujokoro!" I yelled as I fired the rods of light to trap Kaede in position.

"What the…..let me go you bitch!"

"A pity….a strong bankai but a weak shinigami…"

"What did you say!?"

"Weak…."

"How dare you!?"

"Soi Fon taichou," I said as I turned around to face her.

"I'm sorry….for hurting you…..please forgive me," I bowed my head in shame and in apology as I spoke.

"It's….quite alright…." Soi Fon taichou replied. "I knew you'd make it through."

"Th…..thanks," I said as I teared a little in joy before I stuck a hand out to help my sister up. "Can you stand?"

"Barely…." she said as she grabbed my arm to pull herself up. "You'd better finish him off…..before he breaks free."

"Don't worry. I will. But taichou, hold on tight."

"Alright….."

"Get ready and rbace yourself…..BANKAI!"

My reiatsu swirled around me ever so violently as my bankai formed and I could feel Soi Fon taichou grabbing onto me with all her might. The pressure from my bankai was so intense that it had actually formed a crater that was at least a hundred metres deep with a radius of another kilometre or so, crippling the very foundation of many buildings.

"Wow…..that's strong….." Soi Fon taichou commended me.

"Sorry….and thanks…..ma'am….."

"It's fine."

"Ahhhhhh!" Kaede screamed as he tried his best to struggle and break free. He wasn't going anywhere though…..there was no way he could escape…..His eyes seemed to dart around all over the place, making him look as if he'd gone insane.

"Bye bye…you…." I stopped mid –sentence. "Taichou…..would you like to join me?"

"Haha," she struggled to smile. "I thought you'd never ask."

"Can you do it though?"

"Don't look down on me," she said in a rather cocky fashion as she smiled at me again.

"Haha, alright," I said as I reciprocated the smile with one of my own.

"Bankai!" my sister screamed as her reiatsu levels surged and her bankai formed. "Jakuho Raikoben!"

"Let's end this," she said.

"Yes ma'am!"

Goodbye, you bastard!" we said in unison.

Now that Kaede was a sitting duck, we fired our bankais simultaneously and damn was our combined power overwhelming. Not only was Kaede reduced to ashes upon contact, but our powers had destroyed about half of the entire of Seireitei, reducing it to a bareen wasteland that was void of any life at all.

"So long bitch…." I was about to hug my sister when I realized something.

"Taichou! Kaede's dead now and all…..but did we go overboard? I mean….those that were under his control….did we kill them as well?"

"Look at you looking all worried and all!" Soi Fon taichou laughed. "Don't worry…..I got a read of the place before we fired and I didn't sense anyone's presence in the area that was destroyed. I would have stopped you if I did."

"Oh…..alright then…." I said as I stood shocked.

"You're so cute when you do that," she said as she came over to tussle my hair. "It's all over now….so relax okay? Let's report back and await new orders."

"Yes ma'am!" I said with a wide smile on my face.

And just like that, it was all over. We powered down from pour bankais and with Soi Fon taichou barely able to walk now, she placed an arm over my shoulder as I supported her and we made our way ever so slowly back to makeshift headquarters to make our report. It was only a mtter of time now before the shinigamis would return home to Seireitei and I just couldn't wait for things to return to normal. I could finally return to a state of peace but I couldn't help but wonder….I"ve only been a shinigami for a rather short while yet I've done so much already…what was in store for me in the future? Well, I guess it didn't matter for as long as Soi Fon taIchou was at my side, I knew that no matter how rought the road ahead might be, I would always be the champion of my own future.

Thanks guys for reading this latest chapter! I know that it took quite a while to post this so apologies yeah? Been rather busy. Anyways, it's been fun writing so I hope you'll stay tuned for the final chapter in the story of Yagami Keiko's life so far! Once again, thanks for reading and let me know what you guys feel of the story!


	12. Chapter 12

Hi Guys. For those who've been reading since Chapter 1, I thank you for your support. Once again, apologies for the long wait as I've really, really been busy so I couldn't post this earlier. Anyways, I've thoroughly enjoyed writing this story and I hope you guys have enjoyed it too. That being said, this is the end of the story of Yagami Keiko's life so far. Things may not end up like what you guys might have wanted so do pardon if its not to your liking, its just something that I wanted to happen.

Chapter 12: Destiny

It had been 6 months since Soi Fon taichou and myself had killed Kaede. Since then, peace and order had returned to Seireitei as the shinigmis moved back in. we had worked tirelessly to rebuild what was lost and my sister and I gave our all to rebuild our home. It was only right for us to do so, considering that in killing Kaede we did destroy half of Seireitei in the process. But was I in for a surprise after the repair works were done.

"Don't be shocked when Yamamoto taichou talks to you later after the meeting," my sister said to me as we made our way to a leader's meeting at headquarters.

"I believe I've lived through enough shocks and surprises in my life to handle what's coming," I said with a smile.

"Confident as always I see. But don't say that I didn't warn you though." 

With what has happened in my life so far, I doubt anything could make me feel that shocked. But Soi Fon taichou did seem pretty sure that I would have quite a surprise after the meeting…..Regardless, I focused myself to get through another boring meeting…..

After the meeting…

"Dismissed!" said a stern Yamamoto taichou.

"Yes Sir!" replied the various Captains and Vice Captains in unison.

We were about to make our way out of the hall when Soutaichou spoke once more.

"Soi Fon taichou! Yagami Keiko! Stay back. There's something that I would like to discuss with the both of you."

What's this all about I wondered. Was this what Soi Fon taichou was talking about earlier when she said that I'd be shocked after the meeting?

"Alright, let's get down to business," Yamamoto taichou said. "I'm sure wondering why I've summoned the both of you here, Keiko, as I've already briefed your captain on what's about to happen."

"To be honest Sir I am indeed shocked, but go right on ahead," I replied as Soi Fon taichou let out the tiniest of giggles knowing that she was right about my reaction.

"Alright. Your performances in the field have not gone unnoticed. Myself, the other captains and the higher ups have agreed that your performances during missions have been very impressive and your power alone is significantly stronger as compared to the rest of the Captains, excluding myself."

"So….what's your point exactly Sir? And what do you mean….by higher ups?"

"Division 0. They've asked that you be promoted to their ranks."

"Wha….wha….." my jaw dropped and hung loose as I was at a loss for words.

"That's right. Any shinigami that is being promoted to Division 0 requires his or her respective captain to be present to acknowledge the promotion in the event that the individual being promoted is not a Captain themselves. So you can see why Soi Fon taichou is here."

"I see…."

"Well, the decision is yours and yours alone. You don't have to give me an answer now, so do take the time to consider."

"Alright…..thank you Sir."

With that, Soi Fon taichou and I made our way back to the 2nd Division barracks. And throughout the walk, we didn't speak. Perhaps she wanted to give me some silence to think. But the prospect of joining Division 0…was this a chance that I would live to regret? There were many perks of joining, the honour, the prestige, not to mention that pay rise and whatnot. Then again, that would mean more responsibility, but more importantly, I would hardly ever get to see Soi Fon taichou….could I take the pain yet? Boy what was I to do…what am I to do…I needed to talk to my sister about this…

As we reached our destination, Soi Fon taichou asked me to join her in her office. She probably wanted to talk to me about my decision, and so I entered her office like she asked.

"So little sis….." she said as she placed her hands on her hips and let out a huge breath. "So what's it going to be?"

"I….don't know….I mean I am considering the pros and cons of each choice….but I'm afraid that I'll make the wrong one."

"That's just life. You have to take risks and you'll never know what might come of it. it may be good, it may be bad. You know, if you never take risks, you'll never learn and grow. But remember, that at the end of the day, you have to live with the choices you've made."

"I see….."

"I would like to tell you the choice that I would like you to make, but like what Soutaiochou said, the decision is yours and yours alone. You're on your own for this one sis. Make the choice which you think is best."

"Alright, thanks ma'am."

"You're welcome. You're dismissed."

As I exited Soi Fon taichou's room, I retreated to my own private quarters and just threw myself onto my bed. I folded my arms and placed my palms at the back of my head as I stared at the ceiling. I was really in a dilemma…which choice should I make? Should I stay with Soi Fon taichou in which I may rue the decision later to not have joined the prestigious Division 0? Or should I join Division 0 and live with the constant heartache that I'll hardly ever see my sister again who has done everything for me? Ahhhhhhhh…..decisions….decisions…..decisions…If the whole point of this was for me to grow, was I really ready to join Division 0? I have been a shinigami not for that long and although I don't have much experience yet, the experiences that I've had, were of great significance…..damn it…I spent the time thinking and I decided to head back to the waterfall to meditate.

I took up my usual position and let the water cascade rapidly down upon my head as I entered my alternate state.

"Keiko," Sharpshooter said as he approached me. "So…..which option do you pick?"

"That's the thing…..I don't know…..help me please?"

"Haha," he said as he wrapped his hands around the top of my back to hug me. "Well, do you think that you have nothing left to learn in the Gotei 13?"

"I don't know…..but I highly doubt that I have nothing left to learn….."

"Then isn't the choice obvious?"

"I know nut what if the opportunity never presents itself again?"

"That's just a huge risk that you'll have to take. You should be joining because it is the next stepping stone in your growth as a shinigami. Don't skip a few essential learning points in your life to end up where you want to be as it may restrict you from having all the necessary experience you may need in the end."

"I see. You always know what to say to me. Thanks so much," I said as it was my turn this time to hug Sharpshooter as I wrapped my small hands around his giant waist.

"You're welcome. I'm always here for you."

"Thanks. Me too."

"Alright, get going then. And hey, remember, I love you too."

"I love you too."

With the conversation done, Sharpshooter made his usual exit as he turned around and was engulfed in a brilliant white light and I too, made my exit from my inner state."

I woke up feeling refreshed. Joining Division 0 was indeed an exciting prospect and something that I truly wanted to do. But was I ready for it especially considering my age? I had my whole life ahead of me and there was a lot that I hadn't done yet….However, sacrifices were needed to be made if I truly wanted to be happy…..the decision was clear…

I rushed back to 2nd Division headquarters and told Soi Fon taichou that I was ready to meet Soutaichou to inform him of my decision.

"So…..what's your decision sis?" Soi Fon taichou asked me.

"You'll find out when we meet Yamamoto taichou tomorrow," I said with a smile.

"Haha, alright then. I can't wait."

The Next Day – 1st Division Headquarters

It was my first time entering Soutaichou's headquarters. Everyone was up and about training, and very regimented at that. Then again, this was the Captain Commander's division and I expected no less. I entered his room as he instructed me to along with my sister. Now this was it….decision time. Would I live to regret it? Only time would tell….

"So….Yagami Keiko," Soutaichou said in his usual stern manner. "What's your decision?"

"Well sir," I began to say. "Joining Division 0 is something that I truly want to do and it is indeed a huge honour. However, after careful consideration, I have to kindly turn down the offer. I'm not ready yet and there's still so much for me to learn in the Gotei 13. Besides, I'm happy where I am now and I'm not ready to give it up just yet. I may regret the decision later but it's a risk that I'm willing to take. I hope that you and the rest of Division 0 can respect my decision."

"Yagami Keiko, I will inform them of what you've just said. But I must commend you. Many others would have jumped at the opportunity to join Division 0 but you've shown maturity well ahead of your years. The Gotei 13 will be happy to have you remain as an integral asset to them."

"Thank you Sir," I said as I bowed my head in respect.

"Good. The both of you may take your leave."

"Thank you Sir," we replied in unison.

As we exited the room, I could see that Soi Fon taichou was smiling to herself. No doubt happy that I was still going to be around her.

"Why'd you turn down the offer?" she asked with a smile.

"Well, for all the reasons I mentioned just now."

"Nothing else?"

"Well, I have other reasons too," I smiled at her, hoping that she got my hiden gesture.

"I see," she said and smiled as she came over to hug me. "Glad you're staying."

The thought of leaving Soi Fon taichou was nearly unbearable. That would have happened if I had decided to join Division 0 and well, I was glad that I didn't upset her. Well, if I did indeed join Division 0, I knew that I would have never have forgotten her no matter how long we were apart and that I would always keep her in my thoughts…..That was why she came over to hug me too…..she couldn't bear to see me go as well…..After she had let go of me, we laughed as we walked back to 2nd Division headquarters together and I couldn't help but think about how I would miss these moments dearly if I had left….Thanks Soi Fon taichou…..

The Next Week….

Another week had gone by and nothing out of the ordinary had happened. It was a week that went by the same as all the other weeks. Assisted Soi Fon taichou with the training and paperwork after which we would proceed to train by ourselves…yup, pretty much another normal week. Then, something happened. It was a Friday afternoon when a Captain's meeting was scheduled to take place but for some reason, Soutaichou had asked me to accompany him to the meeting hall. I mean, I couldn't say no now could I since he was the Captain Commander….but what was this all about I wondered?

"Keiko, please stay outside the entrance until I give the order for you to come in. understood?"

"Yes Sir."

With that, he opened the doors of the meeting hall and left it open as he slowly made his way to the front where he took up his usual seat. All the Captains, were in their usual positions waiting for the meeting to take place. Then, Soutaichou began to speak.

"Fellow captains," he said. "You all know why I've summoned all of you here today. This is not a usual Captain's meeting, but a meeting to promote an outstanding individual to our ranks."

Oh no….

"Yagami Keiko!" he shouted.

"Si…..Sir!" I replied him in shock.

I made my way forward ever so slowly, conscious that all eyes were on me…..I could feel the perspiration trickling down my forehead and I walked forward with a nervous twitch…..totally unprepared for what was coming my way…I finally reached the front and Soutaichou began to speak….

"Yagami Keiko, you've shown that you have the necessary requirements and abilities from your performances so far to become a Captain in the Gotei 13. As such, we have decided that you need not take the Captain's proficiency test to be promoted. So, do you….."

"AHHHHHH!"

I couldn't take it…all those pair of eyes were on me, the pressure….I turned around and dashed for the door and I couldn't help but think about how all those captains were laughing about how foolish I must have looked….how embarrassing….I nearly died just then….I was at the exit when Soi Fon taichou suddenly shunpoed in front of me to stop me in my tracks…

"Hey hey," she said in a reassuring tone. "What's the matter?"

"I can't…..take the pressure….everyone's staring at me!"

"HAHA. Don't worry about a thing alright?" my sister said as she hugged me. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"But….."

"No buts. This is a fear that you'll have to face alright…..Come on," Soi Fon taichou said as she took a few steps ahead of me before using her hands to gesture that I follow her.

"Al…..alright…"

So, after some coaxing, I followed Soi Fon taichou as she accompanied me to the front of the hall. I walked as I turned my head from side to side to observe what the reactions of the other captains were and thankfully, they didn't seem to find my actions earlier at all amusing. That did help me to keep a cool head….for the time being at least. Finally, I reached the spot where I was originally standing and my sister returned to the position that she was in before. I faced Soutaichou once more and he started where he had left off.

"As I was saying…." Soutaichou continued. "Do you, Yagami Keiko, promise that you will carry out your duties as a Captain and a leader in the Gotei 13, professionally and responsibly, to serve and protect Seireitei?"

"I….." I stuttered as I tried to calm myself down and raised my right hand in acknowledgement of the oath. "I do."

"You have heard it, so have the rest of the Captains present and I here as witnesses. With that, Yagami Keiko, you have now officially been promoted, to Captain of the 3rd Division of the Gotei 13. Congratulations."

"Thank you Sir!"

The whole meeting hall erupted into an applause as Soi Fon taichou approached me from behind and help me put on my Captain's haori.

"Wh…they don't have a size that fits me?" I said after analyzing that the haori that my sister help me to put on hung loose along my sleeves and the back of it which reached all the way to the floor. It was really, much too big given my small body frame.

"You'll grow into it. And besides, you're the youngest person ever to make Captain…..so yeah we didn't exactly have the time to specially design one for you," my sister said.

"Haha, alright….I guess I do look rather cure in this," after taking a thorough look at myself as I flapped my arms up and down to mimic flapping wings. My hands didn't even show through the sleeves of the haori so the others could see the flapping of the sleeves…they must have thought I was crazy or something.

"Yeah, you do look really cute," Soi Fon taichou said with a smile.

The applause died down as my sister returned to her position before I took up my place alongside the Captains. Honestly, despite my surprise at first, I as now, really happy and felt honoured that I had made Captain. It represented another milestone in my life. I couldn't wait for what challenges awaited me and what my life would be like from now on.

"Captains, this meeting is adjourned."

"Yes Sir!"

With that, Soutaichou slowly made his exit. A few captains stayed behind to congratulate me personally before they too took their leave but both Soi Fon taichou and Unohana taichou stayed behind with me.

"Keiko…oh my bad," Unohana taichou said. "Keiko taichou….or Yagami taichou, congratulations!"

"Haha….I have to get used to that….taichou," I replied with a wide smile on my face.

"That's right," my sister said. "But Yagamo taichou….or Keiko taichou, which do you prefer?"

"Doesn't matter to me!" I replied in a jovial mood.

"Haha, someone's really happy," Unohana taichou said.

"Yeah….little sis…." Soi Fon taichou suddenly paused

"Soi Fon taichou, it's still fine if you call me that, really!"

"Whew…..haha that eases things for me," she said as she wiped her forehead. "Do you need help moving your things?"

"I do….." I said when it suddenly occurred to me. "But sis…..Soi Fon taichou…doesn't that mean that I'll hardly see you?"

"Aww…." My sister said to me as she came over to hug me. "Our Divisions are right next to each other and we can still see each other during our breaks or when we have nothing to do."

"Quite right," Unohana taichou said. "It would be like you never left the 2nd division at all."

"Al….alright…..thank you guys."

"Don't mention it," the both of them said.

"Anyways, Soi Fon taichou, its about time we left."

"Oh…..right right!" she said as she took a look over my shoulder.

"What….why?"

"Remember that day at the cafeteria, I said someone was eyeing you?"

"Yeah….so?"

"He's making a move right now."

"What?" I said in shock as I turned around to see my admirer. Then, there he was….

"But guys," I said as I turned around to find that the both of them had deserted me….I guess they didn't want to intrude…..damn it…..leaving me alone at a time like this….awkward….

Anyways, I turned around and faced my admirer once again as he approached me ever so slowly. His blue hair waved as the wind blew into the meeting hall, making me realise for the first time that he was actually kind of handsome. It was no problem at all for me to tell that he was feeling uneasy as his eyes darted around, probably having thoughts about how things would end up bad through his head. To his credit, he tried to keep his gaze on me as he walked in a upright and a gentlemanly posture acting all confident but it was all too easy to see through his façade. And before I knew it, we were face to face as I stared into the eyes of the Captain of the 10th Division, Hitsugaya Toshiro.

"Um….um…..h….hi….," said the Captain as he twitched about.

"Hi there, Hitsugaya-kun," I replied with as wide a smile as I could possible give him to calm him down. He was a total wreck…..

"Are you….alright?" I asked as I intentionally hunched over and bent forward to take a closer look at him.

"Uh….uh….con….congratulations on your promotion…Yagami…Keiko….uh…."

"Keiko taichou, please," I said with an earnest smile once again.

"O…..okay…Congratulations, Keiko taichou."

"Thanks, Hitsugaya taichou."

Man…..I seriously thought he was going to faint or something. His body shook constantly, and he kept on scratching all over. I could see the fear in his eyes and I stared him down as the perspiration trickled down the side of his face. Perhaps looking him straight in the eyes wasn't going to help his cause…..He didn't say anything and just stood there shuffling his feet about and stared at the floor holding his hands behind his back. I wasn't going to wait forever for him to and I had other matters to attend to. I was about to leave when suddenly spoke.

"Keiko taichou…?"

"Yes?"

"Would….would you like to go out with me?"

Oh my…..I thought he was never going to ask…

"Oh….I don't see why not. Sure thing, I'll go out with you."

"Oh….okay..yeah…..wait…..WHAT?"

"I said yes…..Is…there a problem?"

"No….none at all!"

"Great!" I said with a smile and pretended to walk off, playing hard to get.

"Wait!" he suddenly shouted. "So…..Friday then…after training hours….at the main exit gate?"

"Sounds good. See you then!"

"Alright…..see you…Keiko taichou!"

Before I knew it, he had shunpoed out of the hall, leaving me behind as I smiled on my way out. Hitsugaya taichou seemed so different just then…..was he really that into me? regardless though he did look pretty cute when he was flustering just now….perhaps something just might happen…..

"So….did he?" said Soi Fon taichou as she suddenly appeared behind me with the widest of grins on her face.

"What's it matter to you?" I said as I smiled to myself.

"I'm interested to see what lies ahead for my little sister."

"Well…..if you must know, we're going out together."

"WHAT!?"

"Yeah. He asked me and I said yes."

"Wow…"

"Is something wrong?"

"I just didn't actually expect him to ask…..good for him though. He's got himself a good catch," my sister said as she gently nudged me and gave me a huge wink.

"Hey! Don't go spreading rumours now…..I hardly even know him yet….."

"Just messing with you. Don't worry alright?"

"O….okay."

"Anyways, you'll be glad to know that all your stuff has been moved into your new private quarters in the 3rd Division barracks."

"I see. Thanks for the help sis."

"No problem….though you should thank your new Vice Captain too. He helped out a lot as well."

That's right…..As captain I was to have a second in command. I just realized that I haven't met him yet…I wonder what's he like…..

"Right…..and what's his name?"

"Izuru Kira. A shy and quiet type but I'm sure you guys will work well together. Well he's out making rounds right now and requested to see you after his duties."

"Can't wait. I'll get someone on that."

"Right, now on to more important matters."

Soi Fon taichou placed her arm around my shoulders for support as we walked out of the hall together, gossiping about Hitsugaya taichou and what not. From what she had told me, he seemed like a really great guy and so it was a surprise given his usual high standards of professionalism that he well, asked me out on a social outing? It was most strange and my sister and I agreed that it would be something that we would continue to talk about for a long time to come. And boy….how right were we…..

250 Years Later…

"Hitsugaya taichou!"

"Kira-kun….Could you be more quiet? The babies are sleeping….And you've got to be more specific now….who exactly are you calling for?" I said.

I had already told him not to be too formal whenever he saw the two of us together.

"Sorry ma'am. Keiko taichou, the squad is ready."

"Alright. I'll be down with you guys soon. Wait for me outside."

"Yes ma'am."

As Kira made his exit, Toshiro-kun began to speak.

"You sure you're ready? It has only been like…..two months?"

"I'm sure. Don't worry. Besides, I need the exercise."

"Alright, take care."

"Thanks."

It had been 250 years since our first date and I had no idea that it'd turn out like this. But there he was with my children, Kimiko and her little brother, Kenta, sleeping soundly in his arms. I looked at his blue eyes as he stared down at his, or should I say, our kids. There was no hiding the affection he had for them as his blue eyes shone in the dimly lit room, showing just how much they meant the world to him. And how much did they mean the world to me too….I took one final look at them before I headed off to meet my subordinates and as I left them, I couldn't help but think. I was a nobody, I had no parents, no family and no place to call home. But then I made history…..youngest shinigami to achieve shikai, youngest shinigami to achieve bankai and the youngest one as well to make captain….and now I had a family of my own as well…..I was really grateful and thankful for all that has happened to me…..It just does go to show that no matter how badly the odds are stacked against you, never give up and persevere on and one day surely, you will be rewarded. Well, that's enough rambling for the time being. I'll see you guys soon. Until the next time, remember to persevere through your struggles. This is Yagami Keiko, or rather, Hitsugaya Keiko, signing off.

That's the end of the story! Once again, thanks to all those who've been reading and I really appreciate the support! Do let me know again what you guys feel about the story and its entirety See you all next time!


	13. Chapter 13

Hey guys. I thought I was going to end the story but I felt like another portion could be added to the life of Keiko. So here it is! Hope you enjoy it!

The 2nd Arc: Revelation

Chapter 13: Collapse

It had been 50 years since the birth of my children, and Toshirou and I had been living peacefully. After the invasion, Seireitei had entered a state of serenity like never before. There were hardly any conflicts, and there were hardly any disturbances in the world of the living that were worthwhile investigating.

A new batch of shinigamis had entered my division, as they usually did whenever an intake had graduated from the academy. It was time I had a little fun with them. Since they were new, they had no idea how I looked like. And given my diminutive stature and youthful appearance, it was the perfect opportunity to test these new shinigamis to see how they would treat others around them. So I decided to let Kira-kun handle the first training session whilst I blended in with the new batch. I had specifically told him not to mention anything so that it wouldn't ruin the fun. Alas, it was time.

"Hi guys," Kira said as he stood upon the podium whilst looking towards the group of us. "I'm your Vice-Captain, Kira Izzuru. As you all know, you are now members of Division 3 of the Gotei 13. As requested by our captain, she has instructed me to conduct a sparring session to test your skills and abilities."

I couldn't help but let out a little giggle, knowing full well what was going on. My subordinates had no clue as to why I was gigging as I felt their gaze upon me, well, they were going to find out soon enough.

"Alright, time to start this. Any last questions?"

"Sir!" one guy yelled. "May I ask…where is the captain? It's weird that she isn't here when its our first day."

The crowd began to murmur as they agreed with what this one fella was saying.

"Well, she's out right now, with her husband."

"Husband?"

"Yeah, she's married to Captain of the 10th Division, Hitsugaya Toshirou."

The crowd began to murmur even louder as they processed the new information.

"That was unnecessary Kira…." I thought to myself.

"Ok, let's begin. You'll go up one by one, using the wooden zanpakutos provided. Whoever lands the first hit wins. Ok, begin!"

As Kira commanded, my subordinates took up the zanpakutos and began to spar. There was nothing out of the ordinary, the new recruits sparred at the usual amateur levels and no one really stood out. There was one individual, however, that caught my attention. She was young, probably around my age. She was very soft spoken and had won her sparring match with relative ease. Other than that, there was nothing unusual.

"Ok, you two, you're the last pair. Let's go!" Kira said to another subordinate of mine and I.

"But Sir….she's….so young…."

"You better watch your mouth," Kira warned. "If you were to lose, the captain would not hesitate to treat you more strictly than others."

This subordinate of mine then got a bit cocky.

"HAHAHAHAHA. With all due respect Sir, I won't lose," he said with a wide smile.

"You better hope you're right."

Poor bastard. This guy was going to have his ass handed to him on a silver platter. Alright, show time. he picked up his zanpakuto, and waited for me to pick mine up. But, in my own way of being cocky, I decided not to pick one up and fight using hand to hand combat.

"HAHAHAHAH," my subordinate laughed. "Do you want to get beaten that badly, little lady?"

"Well, I'll try my best not to Sir!" in a cheerful and polite manner to appease this guy's massive ego.

I felt Kira's gaze upon me, and I could sense he knew what was going to happen. Hope you enjoy the show, Kira-kun!

The sparring match began as Kira rang the gong. This subordinate of mine charged at me with a huge swing, and it was easy for me to dodge his attack. I made a backflip and landed on my feet gracefully with my hands folded behind my back as I smiled at him. At this point, I could tell that he was pretty pissed. His eyebrows rose and I could see the fury in his eyes. He charged at me once more with multiple strikes this time, and once again it was not at all a challenge for me to avoid them. Backflips, cartwheels, and somersaults, anything to infuriate him more, I did it. He was exhausted now and I could see the perspiration trickle down the side of his face. Well, it was time that I finished this. He charged at me once more, but instead of avoiding his advance, I waited for the strike to come. In lightning quick fashion, I ducked underneath his arm and I broke his zanpakuto with ease and help the broken piece in my hand. He turned around and he was very much in shock as he witnessed me holding the broken zanpakuto in the palm of my right hand with my left behind my back, smiling at him. Then, as my subordinate stood rooted to the ground, I leapt in front of him and punched him right across the bridge of his nose and he flew backwards about 10 or so metres as he crashed into the walls of the first floor of our Division.

I smiled at Kira and he looked at me with a sarcastic smile as I joined the crowd once more. I could hear them whispering now.

"Who is she?"

"One punch defeated Hideto?"

"How strong is she?"

"Mmmhmm, excuse me," Kira began to speak. "That concludes the sparring session. And I've just received word that the captain is arriving soon. We'll wait her for her arrival."

That was the cue. I started walking forward from the back of the crowd towards the front of the crowd and the podium. Then, the crowd began to raise their voice.

"Hey! What do you think you are doing?"

"Get back! Who do you think you are to be stepping in front of the Vice-Captain?"

"You know," I began to speak. "You should really know who you are speaking to before you open your mouth."

"What! How dare you!?"

"Yeah! Who do you think you are?"

"Kira, my haori please," I said as I rose my hand in the air to catch the toss from Kira.

"Haori!?"

"Now she's gone to far…"

"Too far?" Kira asked. "I beg to differ. She's asking a favour from her Vice-Captain as all."

"What!? You can't mean….."

"That's exactly what I mean. This little lady, as Hideto so rudely addressed her, is indeed your Captain."

"Enough Kira," I said as I finished putting on my haori and walked up the podium and stood beside him. "Surprised guys?"

The crowd's jaw dropped. The could not believe that they had been fooled all this while. I could tell by the way they looked at me that they had regretted the way they had disrespected me earlier.

"Guys, don't worry. It was all in good fun. Though I probably punched Hideto a little too hard….is he still unconscious?"

"Um…..they already brought him to the infirmary ma'am," Kira said.

"Oh, alright then. Well, let me introduce myself formally to you guys. I'm Yagami Keiko, or rather, Hitsugaya Keiko, captain of the 3rd Division of the Gotei 13. I was under the tutelage of the captain of the 2nd Division and the Omnitsukido, Soi Fon. As such, I'm well versed in hand to hand combat. As Kira mentioned, my husband is Hitsugaya Toshirou, captain of the 10th Division. But please, if you guys see the two of us together, do address me as Keiko taichou. Otherwise, just taichou will do. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Alright. I think that's it. Any questions?"

"Ma'am!" one lady yelled.

"Yes?"

"Um…I see that you don't carry a zanpakuto around. And earlier, you didn't use a wooden zanpakuto during the sparring session. Why?"

"Hahaha," I laughed a little. "I've answered this question one too many times. Kira, if you would."

"Sure. Taichou doesn't use a zanpakuto."

"What?"

"Yeah, she doesn't have one."

"Then, what does she use as a weapon?"

"Well," I said as the crowds attention shifted towards me.

"Here it is," I said as I took Sharpshooter out of his holster and began to put my finger through the trigger area and spun him around.

"A pistol?"

"That's right. I'm the only shinigami who uses a pistol instead of a zanpakuto."

The crowd began to murmur again, but it was really time that I ended this session.

"Well, that's enough for today. I'll see you guys tomorrow to formally start training."

"Yes ma'am!"

As the new recruits took their leave, I had Kira escort me back to my quarters. As I approached the door, I began to feel light and my vision began to blur as I took more rapid breaths of air. I lost a couple of steps and nearly fell, but thankfully I managed to balance myself by placing my forearm against the door of my private quarters.

"TAICHOU!" Kira yelled in concern. "Again?"

"En….enough…Kira," I struggled to say. "Ju….just escort me back inside."

Kira held me up and helped me onto my bed. It has been a while since I started suffering from this illness of mine, but I strictly ordered Kira not to tell anyone. I was too stubborn to seek help and wanted to keep my pride intact. But, I was to regret my decision soon enough.

"Taichou….." Kira said softly. "You can't continue on like this…let me tell your family….or Soi Fon taichou at least."

"Don't….you dare….all…I…need is…."

"A little rest. Yeah….you always say that, but you never get any better! I can't take this. I'm scheduling an appointment….."

Before Kira could finish his sentence, my energy had finally exhausted as I drifted off into a deep slumber, losing my consciousness.

Do let me know what you guys feel of this chapter! Hope yall enjoyed it


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: A Looming End

"It doesn't look good…."

"What's wrong taichou?"

"Well….she has…"

I could barely hear the conversation going on as I regained consciousness. The light shone brightly down from the ceiling, blinding my vision as I tried to analyse my surroundings. Surprise, surprise, I found myself in the infirmary, along with Kira-kun who was conversing with Unohana taichou in the corner of the room. But something seemed abit off. She seemed to whisper something in Kira's ear and my Vice-Captain seemed to shed a tear as he took his leave. Unohana taichou, returned her focus on me, and approached me seeing that I was awake.

"Keiko," Unohana said. "You feeling alright?"

"Not really, I've felt better."

"Well, can you stand?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Get off the bed then. Let's take a slow walk together."

I did as Unohana-san asked of me but once again, something seemed off. She was her usual smiling self, but it no doubt masqueraded a darker look. We walked towards the garden area of Unohana-san's Division as she stood nearby the pond waiting for me to catch up. As I walked towards her, I wondered why she had brought me to such a place. The sound of the waters cascading down the mini waterfall with the birds chirping away exuded such a tranquil feel. Was the news…really that bad?

"I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you here."

"No doubt."

"You never change do you?" Unohana said with a smile as she analysed my grumpy look.

"Let's get on with it…" I said with irritation.

"Well, Kira told me that you had been suffering from this for quite a while now….how long exactly?"

Damn that Kira and his loud mouth…

"About a month or two….."

"You know…it's been a week since you came to the infirmary…"

"What!?" I said in shock. I was unconscious for a week? How was that possible? I asked myself.

"You really shouldn't take risks when it comes to your health."

I kept silent. I knew that my pride got in my way…

"Anyways…..there's no other way of putting this…so I'll just go ahead and say it."

"Well…..?" I said as I shot Unohana-san a puzzled look.

"You're…dying….."

My eyes widened in shock. I was dying? But…I mean….how was that even possible!?

"WHAT!?"

"Indeed. You heard me right. My studies have shown that as a result of your tremendous amount of reiryoku, reiatsu is building up within you at a very rapid rate and it doesn't escape your body quickly enough. Theoretically, if you were to activate your bankai more often, it would help you release more reiatsu. But, according to my predictions after studying your data, I believe that by activating your bankai, instead of releasing reiatsu quicker, it will only cause reiatsu to build up quicker within you whilst your body maintains the same rate of release of your reiatsu. I can only imagine what destructive powers your bankai must hold to cause this much hurt to your own body."

I kept silent…..I mean….I was going to die…..My loved ones, my family, my friends…My head began to fill with images of them and I couldn't help but let loose a fountain of tears as I thought about how much time I had left with them….I fell on my knees and pounded the ground with my fists repeatedly, contemplating the cruel fact that awaited me….

"C'mon," Unohana-san finally said. "Let's get back inside."

Unohana helped me up and guided me back to the infirmary and helped me to sit upon the bed. She remained silent as well, figuring that saying anything at this point might upset me even further. But, I finally regained the composure to speak up.

"So…..how….long….do I have left?"

"By my estimates, another 40 to 50 years. Your body will continue to age and ill until your time runs out."

40-50 years didn't seem that bad….if I were human. Shinigamis had an average lifespan of a 1500 years…..heck even Yamamoto soutaichou was about 2000 years old I reckon….I was only 375 years old, which meant that if I did live to a 425 years old and die then, I would only have lived 30% of the average shinigami lifespan. The reality dawned upon me that…time was running out…..and running out quick.

"Oh….." I said as my head sank again. "Anything else?"

"Don't activate your bankai under any circumstances. Your ailing body cannot handle the pressure for much longer and will speed up the aging process at a much faster pace. If you do, your 40 to 50 years can turn into a matter of days, or even hours…..so please….never….ever….release your bankai….."

"Ok…"

"Well, Kira-kun is here to escort you back to your quarters. There is nothing much I can do, but here's some pills to take if you ever feel light headed."

"Ok…..thanks….Unohana taichou….."

I got off the bed and dragged my feet as Kira escorted me back. I couldn't deal with the trauma…..He tried talking to me but I remained silent. I had descended into the depths of despondency and I just didn't see a way out for me.

"Well, here we are taichou," Kira said as we arrived at our destination. "Please taichou, don't hesitate to call me if you need any help."

I couldn't, no, I didn't want to answer my Vice-Captain. I just wasn't in the mood. I opened the door and slammed it shut as I entered my private quarters. I didn't look back to see the look on Kira-kun's face, though I was sure he would understand that I was heavily troubled. Anyways, I walked into my bedroom area and found familiar figures already waiting for me.

"I heard the news…"

"Toshirou….." I said as I saw my family waiting for me.

"Daddy, will mommy be alright?" Kenta said.

"She needs her medicine!" Kimiko said in her rather usual cheerful manner.

If only the kids knew what was going on…

"Alright guys, that's enough," Toshirou said. "Follow Rangiku to go and play."

"Yes dad!" our kids replied in unison.

"MSTSUMOTO!"

"Yes taichou. C'mon kids, let's go!"

As Matsumoto and the kids left my quarters, I finally had some alone time with my husband. Focusing my attention back on my husband, I fell into his warm and open embrace as he caught me.

"Toshirou…." I struggled to say as the tears let loose.

"What…..what….."I sucked up the mucus and liquids as they escaped from my nostrils. "What…am I to do?"

"Hey….." Toshirou said in a calming tone. "I'm right here with you alright? You have to be strong now, not just for the kids, but for your division as well. You wouldn't want them to panic now, would you?"

"Yeah…."

"And we still have 50 years together, let's spend them together to the fullest!"

"Yeah..." I said with a smile as the tears fell and I hugged my husband. Emotions overwhelmed me as I realised how lucky I was to have a husband like Toshirou at my side, having him know how to comfort me even in the darkest of times.

Though I knew that my time was going to end soon, talking with my husband helped me to forget my troubles, as we spent the rest of the day talking about how we were going to have some quality time together. He mentioned about taking me to the human world, which, oddly enough, I haven't been to yet. He told me about all the exciting things that I could do there and it just livened up my mood. We kept on talking and laughing until the wee hours of the morning, when it was time for a new day to begin.

Hope you guys enjoy the development of the story so far !


	15. Chapter 15

Hey guys. Hope yall are enjoying the story ;) Here's the next chapter!

Chapter 15: Blast from the Past

A new day had begun and with the talk I had with Toshirou from the night before, I was with renewed optimism that somehow, someway, everything was going to be alright. I exited my quarters and was greeted by my subordinates and as I approached my division's training hall, I was approached by my Vice-Captain.

"Ma'am!" Kira yelled.

"Yes? Anything the matter?"

"Nothing…..just needed to make sure that you're alright…."

"I'm fine, thanks for asking."

"That's good to hear…."

"Could you stop looking so gloomy all the time?"

"Ma'am?"

"No matter the situation, you always have a naturally gloomy look on your face, Kira-kun. Try to smile a bit more yeah?"

"O…okay ma'am…."

"Otherwise, you never will get the ladies," I whispered into his ear before bursting into laughter.

I always did enjoy teasing my Vice-Captain. It was always fun to do so and his naturally gloomy look made it all the better. As I walked away still wiping off the tears of joy that resulted from my joke, he called for me again."

"Ma'am!"

"Yes?" I said still holding my belly whilst laughing.

"Don't you want to inspect the division today?"

"Hmmmmm…..alright then."

I walked into the training hall and I was greeted by all my subordinates, in a rather formal manner, I must say.

"Everyone! Attention!" Kira yelled.

"GOOD MORNING TAICHOU!" the whole hall yelled in unison.

"Good morning guys," I said with the widest smile that I could give them. "Carry on."

"Yes, thank you ma'am!"

I made my way round the hall to inspect the ongoing training until I realised, that there was one member of the division missing.

"Kira-kun," I said to my Vice-Captain who was still following behind me. "Why is there one person missing?"

"Oh, she's sick."

"Sick?"

"Yeah, down with some sort of a virus. I checked on her this morning and decided to let her have a day's rest."

"I see…..wait…..the girl missing…..she was the young one right? The one whom looked slightly older than me with the same hair colour who won her sparring match that day?"

"Yup, that's right."

"What's her name?"

"Nakata, Nakata Megumi."

"I see, well, I'll go check up on her. You continue on here."

"Yes ma'am."

I made my leave and decided to pay Megumi a visit. As I approached the common quarters of my subordinates, I opened the door, only to find that no one was inside. Just then, I felt a reiatsu that seemed rather familiar. I tried to locate the source of this reiatsu, and I found myself on the balcony of the common quarters. I stared over the edge of the railing, and thought that I witnessed Megumi heading to the exit gates of Seireitei."

"Boycotting training huh, let's see what you're up to," I said to myself.

Concealing my reiatsu, I tailed Megumi, making sure that I was as quiet as a mouse. I followed her to one of the western districts of Rukongai, deep into a forest, when suddenly, I lost sight of her. I scratched my head, thinking that it was near impossible for her to have escaped from me. But, I could make out something in the distance. I approached with caution, only to discover that I had found the rubble of a house which seemed to have been burnt down, many, many years ago. I approached the wrecked house, and dug through the rubble. I had no idea why I did it though….something just compelled me to do so. After digging for a minute or two, I found a damaged photo frame, but the picture was still in good condition despite having its edges burnt off. As I analysed the picture, I was astonished to see a family off four. A mom, a dad, and their two daughters. What really stunned me was the uncanny resemblance between the seemingly younger of the two daughters and I. Furthermore, the older daughter seemed to resemble Megumi. But...what did this all mean? No….it couldn't have been….I never recalled having a family of my own….I was contemplating the meaning of these findings when I felt the presence of a familiar figure.

"What are you doing here?" the voice said.

"Sister!"

It was none other than Soi Fon, or rather, the woman whom I regarded to be my older sister. I ran over to give her a big hug, not remembering telling her about my…..unfortunate fate.

"So…."

"Yeah…..I know…" Soi Fon said.

"Ahh…..well…." I released my grasp and stared at the floor, realizing that I soon, would no longer be able to see my sister anymore.

"Hey, don't worry. I had a chat with Hitsugaya taichou, and I'm here for you."

"Mmm!" I said in delight after hearing her words of comfort.

"You haven't answered me yet. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I tailed one of my subordinates when I found that she was boycotting training. I followed her here when she suddenly disappeared. I was drawn to the rubble, and then…"

Not completing my sentence, I handed over the picture to Soi Fon.

"Wow…..is this…you?" she asked.

"It can't be me…I never ever had a family….."

"Still…..the resemblance is very much there…."

"I know…but that's not it. the older girl, she looks very much like the subordinate whom I was tailing!"

"No way…"

"Yeah….she does….."

Great, more problems on my mind. I felt puzzled, and at the same time, really uncomfortable as I let my head sink again. Seeing this, my sister helped me up and returned the picture to me.

"C'mon, no use staying here. Lets head back to Seireitei. Maybe we can figure out something there."

2 hours later at the Shinigami Research and Development Institute…..

"Well, Keiko taichou," Kurotsuchi Mayuri said. "I can't tell if the person in this picture is indeed you or not, but what I can tell you is that the picture is indeed authentic. And its about…..350 years old."

"I see…"

"Hey, don't get disappointed now," Soi Fon said after sensing that I was unhappy with the results. "Even if they were your family, you have a family of your own now. Stay strong…for them…"

"Ok…"

Despite my sister's attempts to try and cheer me up, I still felt like….there was a deeper meaning as to why I found the picture. And to not find out anything from the research was all the more disappointing….As my sister and I left the institute, I couldn't help but feel that me finding the picture was an omen of troubled times to come…..

That's the end for this chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed it and do stay for more chapters to come soon


	16. Chapter 16

Here's the next chapter. Do enjoy

Chapter 16: Reunion

It had been a day since I discovered the picture…I thought that getting some peace and quiet would help me forget it all….but the time that passed didn't at all make me feel any more at ease. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat…..I just had a feel that….some sort of catastrophe was about to happen…..Before I knew it, it was time for the division's training to begin again and Kira, as usual, would come to wake me up.

"Taichou….it's…."

Before he could finish his sentence, I slammed the door open and stared at him.

"Ma'am…..are you alright?"

"No…..not really….."

"Oh….is it because of….."

"No….no…it's something else entirely…..nevermind….let's proceed…"

As usual, Kira escorted me to the training hall and upon entering, my subordinates greeted me as they always did. When I went to inspect the training…surprise surprise, guess who wasn't present.

"Kira, where'es Megumi?"

"She reported sick again…"

"I see….."

"I did go to….. 

Before he could finish, I had shunpoed out of the hall hastily and made my way to the common quarters. The picture, Megumi missing once again….it was highly unlikely that this was all just a coincidence. Slamming the door open, I was surprised to see that Megumi was indeed lying down on one of the beds. I approached her cautiously though, not knowing if she had anything up her sleeve.

"What!?" I said to myself and I tried placing a firm grip on her shoulder to shake Megumi awake. "A gigai? What do you take me for Megumi?"

I knew where she was headed. There was only one place that Megumi would have gone to, I left the quarters and as I made my way to the ruined house, I was ambushed.

"What the…." I grunted as someone made a jump on me.

Turning around, I saw a masked assailant who came towards me with a punch. Mid-air, I blocked it with my right forearm and as we landed, I tried to deliver a swift left cross on the cheek of the assailant. However, she was quick. In one swift motion, she made a backflip and kicked my hand away before trying to deliver a roundhouse on me. But, I was fast too. Predicting the manoeuver, I dodged the attack and tried to deliver a uppercut to the assailant's chin. But, the assailant saw my move coming as well and blocked it by firmly forcing both her palms against my fist. We continued exchanging punches and kicks for what seemed like a while, before the assailant finally said something.

"I expected nothing less from the taichou."

"Who are you!" I yelled in anger. "And trying to get a cheapshot in on me?"

"You haven't changed one bit."

"Huh? What the heck are you talking about?"

Then, the assailant removed her mask and it was no surprise as to who it was behind the mask.

"Nakata…Nakata Megumi….."

"Afternoon taichou."

"Drop the act. Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"What ever do you mean? As you just said, I'm Nakata Megumi of the 3rd Division of the Gotei 13…."

"CUT THE BULLSHIT!" I yelled as my eyes widened in anger. I couldn't tolerate the lies. "I've checked the archives of the Shinoreijutsuin and there is no record of a person named Nakata Megumi ever enrolling…so…just who the heck are you!?"

"My my taichou…"

I didn't respond and I continued to fixate my eyes on this stranger…

"Can't you tell who I am already by the picture you have? Or could it be the times past have made you forget every single bit of me?"

"Wha…"

"Hahahaha," laughed the now unmasked assailant. "Fine, I'll tell you who I am. My name is…..Yagami….Yagami Reiko….and I'm your elder sister."

I took a few steps back…..no…..it couldn't be….the picture of the family…..was it really Reiko and I together with our parents!? But…..I didn't have a family…..impossible…

"What? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"You…..impossible….my family has long been gone…..I can't even remember them….."

"Don't you believe your very own eyes?"

Before I could respond, this Reiko person had shunpoed in front of me and gave me the warmest and tightest of hugs. Strangely, I didn't do anything as I bathed in her embrace. But….why though...although I knew that something was definitely amiss, my body couldn't do anything to push Reiko away. It seemed that I had subconsciously accepted the fact that Reiko…..really indeed was my sister….

"Are you crying?"

"Sis….." I struggled to say as the tears fell and as I fell further into her embrace, hugging her myself tightly. "It's been so long…"

"I know lil Sis….I know," Reiko said as she patted the top of my head. "C'mon…..it's time we headed back…"

Back at Seireitei, 3rd Division HQ

"Guys," I said as I stood in front of the entire division. "As many of you know, I thought I was an orphan, with no family, whatsoever. But, I stand before you now to formally introduce to you, my very own sister, Yagami Reiko! After more than 300 years, I have finally found her. As such, I'll treat everyone to a large feast tonight!"

The whole division erupted into a applause. I'm not too sure whether it was because of the free food or because they were genuinely happy for me. either way, it couldn't stop me from being on cloud nine after my sister returned to me…it was perhaps…the happiest moment of my life…..or so I thought…..

Later at the Feast….

The division was gathered at Seireitei's main dining hall and everyone was having a blast. Naturally, of course, invited my own family and Soi Fon to the feast to share my joy with them.

"Wow Keiko," Reiko said. "You didn't tell me that you had such a wonderful family!"

"Thanks Aunty Reiko!" said both Kenta and Kimiko.

"And a rather handsome husband as well."

"Hahaha, back off sis. He's all mine."

"Don't treat me as if I weren't here!" Toshirou said as both my sister and I burst into laughter.

"And Soi Fon taichou, thanks for all the care you've given to Keiko. I really appreciate it!"

"Hey, she's like a sister to me too. If she's happy then I am happy as well."

"Good to hear that!"

"Anyways," Toshirou began to speak. "Reiko, why only show yourself now?"

That's right. I didn't ask Reiko for her sudden reappearance in my life.

"Well, I was roaming through Rukongai when people began to speak of a rather young girl with purple hair who made Captain at Seireitei, and how that she now had a family of her own. I thought to myself that there aren't many people around with purple hair, and Keiko had had displayed shinigami powers at a young age. So I took a shot to try and see if this young Captain was indeed Keiko. Thankfully, she was."

"Wow…You've been searching for me all this while?" I asked.

"Of course. I mean, after mom and dad passed away, you were the only family I had left."

She didn't seem to have a hard time just mentioning that our parents passed away…In fact….she said it with relative ease…..what's her deal? She seems to remember more than I do…..I could tell that something was off…..I would have acted out, if it weren't for me being blinded by my falsely unbounded joy that finally, I had found my own living direct blood relative.

"When we were separated," Reiko continued to speak. "I searched Rukongai to find you. At such a young age, you couldn't have survived on your own. But thank goodness, you seem alright."

"Wow….." I stuttered. "Reiko, I'm so sorry…for causing you so much trouble…"

"Hey, no worries, it wasn't your fault…..What matters is that we're together again…" Reiko said as she hugged me.

"Awww…." reacted the people around us.

We talked till the wee hours of the morning, Toshirou, Soi Fon, Reiko and I, and I couldn't have been more happier. I had totally forgotten about my shortened lifespan, such was the joy I had that Reiko had re-entered my life. As we said goodnight to each other, I returned to my quarters where someone familiar was waiting for me.

"Keiko….."

"Sharpshooter? What do you want?" I said with a heightened sense of curiousity as to why my weapon spirit materialized since I normally always see him in my inner state.

"Be careful of Reiko…I don't trust her."

"What? Why?"

"The circumstances…..they all seem…..too conincidental…."

"What are you talking about?" I started to say with anger.

"Think about it…..How did she know that you would end up at the ruined house? How did she know that you had your family picture with you when it wasn't even visible in any way the first time she saw you? And better yet, she so casually mentioned about your parents passing….and you're okay with that? I do not doubt the fact that Reiko is indeed your sister….but…..the circumstances just seem too fortuitous…"

What Sharpshooter said made a lot of sense, but I was too blinded by my joy to even consider the fact that Reiko might have an ulterior motive for showing herself to me.

"What? No way, you're thinking too much. She's my sister, and there's no way she would try to harm me. After all the struggles she's been through….it's just not possible….HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE HER!?"

"Yeah, but still, Keiko, you've got to….."

"ENOUGH! I don't want to hear it anymore! Good night, Sharpshooter!" I said in much frustration as I jumped onto my bed to cover myself in my cosy blankets.

"Goodnight…..Keiko….take care of yourself…"

That's the end for this chapter! Hope you guys enjoy it and do let me think of what you guys feel! Cheers


	17. Chapter 17

Here's the next chapter! Do enjoy!

Chapter 17: Epiphany

After my conversation with Sharpshooter, I fell into a deep sleep. But my rest was troubled with haunting images that played through my mind.

"Was that good, mommy and daddy?" my younger self said to my parents.

"Brilliant sweetheart! You've improved so much!" my dad said.

"That's right! You'll be one of the greatest shinigamis who ever lived!"

"Wow! You mean that?"

"Of course I do! Come here kiddo!" my mom said as I ran into her embrace before my dad joined us.

We seemed to be oh so happy….but what went wrong?

Later that evening

"Reiko, won't you join us for dinner?"

"Shutup pipsqueak."

"But sister, you'll get….."

"I SAID SHUTUP!" Reiko yelled before she gave me a firm slap across my cheek.

I fell down from the impact but summoned the strength not to cry. I picked myself up and ran back into the house to rejoin my family as Reiko remained outside on the porch pacing up and down.

Hours Later…..

As I slept, I was awakened by the scent of what seemed like something burning. When I awoke, to my utmost horror, I witnessed that the house had been set ablaze. I cried out for my parents…..

"MOMMY! DADDY! REIKO!" I yelled.

"MOMMY! DADDY! REIKO!" but there was no respond.

I tried my best to search for them in the midst of the fire, but to no avail. The place was crumbling as the fire continued to eat away at the foundation of the house.

"AHHHHH!" I screamed as the ceiling began to fall.

I had to get out of here, and get out now. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it. I ran as fast as I could out of the place and just as I made my exit, the house exploded with the pressure sending me flying in the air for a few seconds before I landed on the ground with a hard thump. I narrowly escaped with my life. Gathering the strength to get up, I analysed the still burning house only to realise that….if none of my family members had already made it out….there was no way that they could have survived….

"MOMMY! DADDY! REIKO!" I yelled in utter sadness.

As I cried with the house still burning ten or so metres in front of me, I seemed to spot something in the distance.

"Re…..Reiko?" I said as I made my sister out in the distance.

She turned around to analyse the house as well, except that, she had no expression or whatsoever on her face. Furthermore, it seemed like she had a couple of hollows escorting her. It wasn't before long that she and her party turned in the opposite direction and took their leave.

"No…" I muttered softly after I realised what had just happened.

I turned away as well and ran as far as I could, with tears constantly streaming down my face.

Present time…

"AHHHHHHHH!"

"Taichou! Are you alright?" shouted Kira as he banged on my door repeatedly. I forgot….my Vice-Captain had voluntarily stayed outside my quarters ever since my last trip to the infirmary to make sure I had my needs take care of…what a sweet guy.

"No…no…." its fine I said as I struggled for breath. "Just…a nightmare….."

"Oh…..alright then…Just let me know if you need anything!"

"Will do….thanks Kira-kun…."

I tried my best to go back to sleep but how could I after the nightmare I just had? The images…could those have been my memories, that were long locked away somewhere deep at the back of my mind, playing back for me? That would mean that Reiko…..I contemplated what that all meant but one thing was for sure now…..I needed to confront Reiko about this…I just had to know….

The Next Morning…..

I had slept till noon as a result of my lack of sleep from my nightmares. By the time I woke up, it was already time for lunch. Making my way to the dining hall, I surveyed the area to find Reiko's seat.

"Ahhhh! Little sis! Or rather, taichou! Hahahaha, what do…."

"Cut the bullcrap Reiko…I know you're up to something."

"Would you excuse me?" said Reiko as she got up from her seat and took her leave.

"Hey!" I yelled. I didn't want to make a bigger scene so I waited until we were at some distance from the dining hall before I said anything again.

"HEY!" I yelled once more as I pulled on Reiko's hand to stop her from going any further. "You…you killed mom and dad! And burnt the house down!" I said with authority.

"How dare you, you pipsqueak!" said Reiko as she analysed my firm grip on te sleeve of her uniform in anger before slapping me across the face.

"You…..you're not even trying to deny it! MURDERER!"

"I don't have time for the insignificant likes of you. Now if you would excuse me…"

"HEY! WAIT!" I screamed as Reiko ran away. I was going to give chase but then, my illness started to affect me again.

"Damn…not now…" I cursed.

I doubled over in pain before I began spitting out blood as my vision began to blur. Before I knew it, I collapsed to the floor face first before I lost all consciousness.

Some Time Later…

"TAICHOU!" Are you alright?"

"Ugh….where….am I?" I struggled to say as I opened my eyes to the familiar ceiling lights of the 4th Division infirmary.

"Well….you're…"

"Wait…..don't answer me," I interrupted Kira as I sat up on the bed. "I know where I am. How long has it been….since I blacked out?"

"About half an hour or so….."

Thank goodness I wasn't out long….time was on my side for now…

"Where's…where's Reiko?"

"Well, no one had seen her after she left the dining hall with you…"

"Damn you Reiko….." I muttered under my breath.

"Taichou…..is anything the matter?"

"Kira…" I said as I summoned the strength to stand up. "Tell…..Toshirou….to keep the kids safe….."

"Taichou! You can't expect to be going out in your condition! Unohana taichou has said you need more rest and that your condition is worsening!"

"Is that so? All the more reason that I have to leave now."

"Taichou!"

"Goodbye….Kira…"

I shunpoed out of the infirmary leaving Kira to eat my dust. As I headed for the exit gates of Seireitei to make my way for the ruined house, I could feel the presence of two others following behind me.

"Keiko! What do you think you're doing?" Toshirou yelled.

"Sis!"Soi Fon screamed.

"Wha…..what are you guys doing?"

"Kira told us what happened," Soi Fon said.

"Do you have a death wish!?" Toshirou said with anger.

"It's a family issue…I would appreciate it if both of you didn't interfere."

"Are you mad?"

"That's right! You're going to get killed if we don't follow you!"

We spent some time arguing as we moved, before we finally reached the ruined house. And surprise, surprise….guess who was standing there waiting in anticipation for my arrival.

"Took you long enough!" Reiko said. "And I see you brought along uninvited guests as well."

"You bitch! You…..why did you kill mom and dad!?" I yelled with utmost anger.

"Why!? Why!? It's all because of you!"

"What are you talking about?"

"After you were born and started developing powers, mom and dad totally neglected me. and because your powers came in the form of a gun rather than a traditional zanpakuto, they placed even more focus on you! And you know that….they actually sent me away because of you! I could only return every once in a while…..they…..mom and dad didn't love me as much as they loved you…DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT HURTS! WHEN EVEN YOUR OWN PARENTS DON'T GIVE A SIGNLE DAMN ABOUT YOU!?"

"You didn't kill them because they didn't love you…..I recall…..whenever you returned, they were always waiting lovingly, in anticipation of your return! You were the one who turned a cold shoulder towards them…..YOU KILLED THEM BECAUSE YOUR PRIDE WAS HURT! HOW CHILDISH COULD YOU BE!? YOU…..YOU'RE NOT SANE…YOU TWISTED FUCK!"

"So I've been told…"

"So what's your plan now huh?"

"I thought you died in the fire along with them. But since I found out you're alive, I made it my mission to eliminate you as well. I'm going to take away your meaning for existence, just like you took away mine!"

"You fool. Like I'll let you do that…"

Just as Reiko approached me, Soi Fon and Toshirou came up behind me as well. However, a force-field was suddenly activated that enclosed Reiko and I in a dome like manner. Tried as they may, my husband and Soi Fon couldn't break the force-field.

"KEIKO!" Toshirou yelled as he pounded repeatedly on the outer walls of the force-field.

"We'll get you out of there!" Soi Fon yelled in concern.

"There's no way they're breaking through," Reiko said. "Only I can control who and what gets in, and who and what gets out."

"Get them!"

Upon Reiko's command, a mass of hollows, about ten or so, which seemed of the vasto-lorde class, charged out towards Soi Fon and Toshirou.

"WATCH OUT YOU GUYS!"

I witnessed as the hollows charged for Toshirou and Soi Fon. I banged the walls of the force-field repeatedly myself, to try and break free and help them out.

"LET ME OUT!" I screamed.

"Fool. I already said, I control those who can enter and exit. You think I'm letting you out?"

"Bitch…..what do you want from me?"

"Let's do this. One on one."

I stared at my sister with sheer intensity. I gazed into her eyes as if to say, 'come at me.' I knew that this battle…regardless of who won…would probably be my last.

"Bring it on, bitch!"

That's the end for this chapter! Hope you guys enjoy it and do stay on as the story approaches its climax!


	18. Chapter 18

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 18: Family Feud

As Toshirou and Soi Fon battled on the outside of the force-field, I had my own fight to deal with from within. We seemed to be in synch, Reiko and I, instinctively deciding to duel via hand to hand combat first. We matched each other, punch for punch, kick for kick, blow for blow. After what seemed like a while, we both decided that it was time to take it up a notch.

"You're good," I said as I landed after dodging Reiko's last attack and wiped the blood from my mouth.

"Same to you," Reiko replied as she felt the bruises upon her cheeks. "So…are you ready to take it to the next level?"

"Ready when you are."

"Alright then," said Reiko as she unsheathed her zanpakuto.

I analysed her weapon. It didn't seem out of the ordinary, a usual zanpakuto with a light blue hilt. Yet, I had no idea what it did.

"Alright," Reiko said. "Let's do this! Umi O Hakai, Rivuaisan!" (Umi O Hakai, Rivuaisan is japaneses for: Rage the waters, Leviathan.)

I felt a surge in Reiatsu coming from Reiko as I saw the blade of her zanpakuto disappear, after which it seemed to be replaced by running water as droplets started to gather above the hilt to form a transparent water blade.

"With my zanpakuto, Rivuaisan, I can manipulate the water in the air to my command. I am also able to treat my water blade like a whip, extending it and shortening it whenever I pleased.

"I see, interesting. Well, it's my turn now. Mokuteki, Sogeki-Hei!" (Mokuteki, Sogeki-Hei is Japanese for: Aim, Sharpshooter.)

As my reiatsu gathered, Sharpshooter disintegrated and reformed into an M16 assault rifle.

"I'm sure you can tell. With a weapon like mine, my shikai focuses on an increased rate of fire and power, with no other special abilities."

"Hahahaha, I really want to see how you fight like that. But, enough talk! Let's rumble!"

With that, Reiko extended her zanpakutos reach by treating it like a water whip, attempting to use the water to get a lash on me. I took my aim and fired rapidly at the whip and I watched it as it broke apart. I tried to shunpo in front of her to get a point blank shot in, but she read my intentions and summoned the water in front of her to create a shield and I witnessed my attempted assassination fail. Then, I felt a sharp pain in my back as I retreated a few steps backwards. I used the palm of my hand to feel where the source of the pain was coming from.

"Something the matter?" Reiko said with a sinister grin.

To my horror, I saw blood on my hands after touching the source of the pain from my body. And my skin surrounding the injury was wet…Damn….I had forgotten. Reiko had the power to control the water in the air. She must have summoned the water behind me to literally, stab me in the back.

"You bitch…."

"You always had a foul mouth, even as a kid."

Reiko continued her assault, trying to use the whip to lash at me again and again. I dodged repeatedly and attempted to rapidly shoot at her from range. But since I was at some distance, coupled with the fact that Reiko was of a captain class level of shinigami judging by her reitasu levels, she could see the move coming and had ample time to dodge the barrage of bullets. She also countered by summoning the water around me into tiny little blades to try and stab me, forcing me to take evasive action which delayed my shots. Reiko smiled on as she watched my misery, and I seemed to be running out of ideas. But then, I thought, she must have a blind spot. After analyzing her movements, I finally found one. I fired bullets rapidly into the ground to create a smokescreen before I slung Sharpshooter behind me. Reiko grunted in frustration as I hid myself with the screen before I shunpoed in front of her which caught my sister by surprise. I placed a firm grip upon my sister's weapon wielding hand, making it tough for her to use her weapon.

"You bitch! Let go!" she screamed.

"What's the matter? Can't use your weapon eh?" I said with a cheeky grin.

It seemed to work. By locking her hand in position, it made it harder for Reiko to control the motion of the water whip. Even if she could control it, swinging it towards me would likely result in her whipping herself due to the close proximity between us. She struggled to break free but I held on. She had attempted to use the water to stab me again like she did before, but I had gotten use to the patterns in which she did and managed to dodge, though it did take some doing. She had mistimed a few of her attacks and she even stabbed herself on a couple of occasions. I saw the blood dripping from her body and it seemed that the battle was now in my favour. After finding an opening, I managed to deliver a swift uppercut to Reiko's chin and before she could fly into the air, I grabbed her collar and tossed her round my back which sent her crashing and tumbling onto the rough ground as she rolled a few metres back.

"You…HOW DARE YOU!?" Reiko said as she got up and dusted herself off and wiped the blood from her mouth. I responded by giving her the cheekiest of smiles.

"ENOUGH! GET HER!"

Then, she waved hordes of hollows towards me. This did stun me though. I mean, how did she control all these hollows in the first place? The wave was huge and even if I were to use Sharpshooter to take aim, I'm sure that Vasto Lorde hollows wouldn't have perished in a single shot. Damn it….it looked like I had to use it….

"HADO 177! RYUSEI-GUN!" (Ryusei-gun is Japanese for Meteor Shower)

The sky brightened up in flames as multiple meteors showered down onto the battlefield, extinguishing all the hollows in a single hit. I could hear the gasps coming from my husband and Soi Fon, both of whom had seemed to have finished their fights.

"What powerful Kido…." Soi Fon said in sheer amazement.

"Hado 177!? No such spell exists…" Toshirou said. "If Seireitei recognizes this kido, it would be classified as a forbidden kido."

"BAKUDO 81! DANKU!" Reiko yelled as she sought shelter from the attack.

After the attack had finished its course, Reiko had emerged, seemingly unhurt by the kido spell I had casted.

"Wow…..Hado 177….I can't believe you still remember the family kido spell…..And to execute it so expertly, I must commend you."

I would have said something. But, the battle was taking its toll on me. I could feel my energy being drained even more rapidly by the second as I fell on all fours onto the ground, gasping for air.

"KEIKO!" yelled my husband.

"SIS!" screamed Soi Fon.

"Hmm? What's going on eh? You too strong for your own good?"

"None…..none….of your business…" I struggled to say.

"Well, I don't know what's going one….but I'll use this to my advantage….."

"Wha…..wha…..what do you mean?" I said still struggling on the ground as I raised my head to meet Reiko's gaze.

"Ban….kai…."

Reiko's reiatsu swirled around her strongly as she utilized her bankai. As the energy dissipated, her zanpakuto had largely remained the same, but now, a huge being floated in front of her.

"Ikkateiru Mizu Hebi." (Ikkateiru Mizu Hebi is Japanese for: Angry Water Serpent)

"What the…" I said in shock as I saw the beast in front of me. It had all the features of a snake, like a King Cobra, except that its entire body was a huge mass of water. It's eyes were jade green, without seemingly any pupils. It gave a look that just screamed fear as its tongue continued to stick in and out.

"Cmon, show me yours!" Reiko taunted. I couldn't utilise my bankai, otherwise, I would die. But….it didn't seem like I had any other option…I knew I couldn't beat Reiko like this in my current state…..Was I caught in a huge dilemma…As I contemplated my options, I suddenly felt droplets of water fall onto my skin and uniform. And with each drop that touched my skin, I felt a sharp pain that came from the point of contact.

"OW!" I yelled in pain and remained on the ground. I analysed my skin. "Am I….being cut?" I said to myself.

"It seems you've noticed," Reiko said. "This is one of my bankai's techniques, Ha No Ame (Ha No Ame is Japanese for: Blade Rain). My bankai summons an endless rain and each water droplet acts as a blade that cuts my opponents. Though the power of each cut isn't strong, it's the continuous cutting away at the skin that does the damage. This technique focuses on accumulative power, rather than the individual power of each water droplet."

Damn….this attack wasn't going to end…..I didn't know how much more I could take. I couldn't just defend from her attacks, neither could I mount an offensive….I feared that my own energy would deplete soon enough…I was out of options…..

I summoned the strength to get up on my two feet as the rain continued to cut away at my skin. I stared at Reiko dead in the eye as if to say 'I am not done yet!'. I knew that I had to prolong the fight, somehow, someway, if I ever stood a chance at winning. Though it consumed more of my energy, I had no choice.

"SHUNKO!"

The kido technique that Soi Fon taught me served me really well. As parts of my haori and uniform got torn to shreds, the kido enveloped me which protected me from the rain, giving me more mobility.

"Wow, impressive," commented Reiko. "Nice defensive technique that you have there."

"It wasn't meant to be used like this…."

"Come at me then!"

I accepted Reiko's challenge. I fired multiple shots rapidly at Reiko but she had used her bankai to eat away at the bullets. I tried moving about to find an opening but the serpent monitored me constantly, not allowing me any room at all to try and find the space that I needed.

"I'm tired of playing. Get her!" Reiko said as she commanded her beast

The serpent charged towards me and slammed into the ground as I narrowly avoided its jaws. It continued its chase after recovering and I had to move constantly to prevent myself from being snake food. However, I was so focused on running that I didn't react quickly enough to Reiko's movements. She had shunpoed right in front of me and caught me unaware. She used her water whip once again, getting a really good hit on me. The whip lashed me across my body, from the top left side of my chest diagonally downwards towards the ride side of my hip, cutting me really deeply. I screamed at the top of my lungs in pain as I crashed several metres down onto the ground below and as I laid there, I continued to bleed profusely from my gaping wounds.

"Hhhh…..hhhhh…..hhhhh." I breathed heavily as a result of my heavy injuries.

"KEIKO!" Soi Fon and Toshirou yelled in unison from the outside.

"What's the matter?" Reiko laughed hysterically. "That all you got?"

I wanted to say something, but, I couldn't. My focus was on myself, to keep breathing, to keep myself conscious. I couldn't die….not like this…

"Time for the finishing blow," Reiko said. "HYPER TSUNAMI!"

Reiko rode on the serpent, and together, summoned a massive tidal wave, that rose perhaps, 10 or so kilometres into the air. I saw the wave come at me, gathering speed and strength along the way. But with my injuries, I couldn't move. I continued to lie on the floor, on the verge of unconsciousness. As the wave approached, Reiko began to speak.

"Goodbye, and good riddance, Sis."

With that, the wave crashed on top of me with such immense force that I couldn't describe. The power was so great and I got bruised and battered all over and I was pretty sure that a couple of my bones broke in the process as well. The wave washed me against the walls of the force-field as I crashed with the loudest of thumps. Thankfully though, Toshirou and Soi Fon managed to avoid the wave by hiding high up in the trees, though they had to constantly shift from tree to tree as each tree got destroyed one by one as result of the immense power of Reiko's bankai. My body was now a total wreck, broken bones and bruises all over. I lay face flat on the floor with the rest of my body sprawled.

"You dead yet?" said Reiko casually as she used her serpent to pick my body up with its jaws and pinned me against the walls of the force –field. "Still alive huh? You're one tough bitch, I'll give you that," Reiko said after seeing that I was still breathing, albeit all too slowly.

After which, the serpent dropped me from its jaws and onto the floor. By this time, I couldn't feel a thing. My entire body felt so numb and I knew that my time was going to be up soon. As I laid on the ground, I could only hear my own thoughts as my body continued to fail me,

"I can't be bothered to deal with the likes of you," said Reiko. "You're not even worth the time. Finish her!"

Upon her summoning, an arrancar appeared before me and help me up by my collar as it stared into my eyes.

"Watch," said Reiko to both Toshirou and Soi Fon. "As I kill her right before your very eyes."

"KEIKO!" GET UP!" Soi Fon yelled.

"YOU BITCH!" Toshirou screamed.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" laughed Reiko. "After this, Hitsugaya taichou, I'm going to go after Kenta and Kimiko."

"Don't you dare…"

"Try me…."

As their conversation took place, I was having a little talk of my own with Sharpshooter.

"Keiko….you have to do it…"

"It's like commiting suicide….."

"YOU COWARD! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU'RE SAYING THIS! IF YOU DON'T MAKE A STAND NOW, SHE'S GOING TO DO AWAY WITH YOU AND GO AFTER TOSHIROU AND SOI FON! DO YOU WANT THAT TO HAPPEN?"

"They….they can handle it…"

"SHE MAY HAVE HUNDREDS, OR EVEN THOUSANDS OF HOLLOWS AT HER DISPOSAL. HOW SURE ARE YOU THAT THOSE TWO CAN HANDLE IT? SHE'S GOING TO USE HER ARMY TO GO AFTER KENTA AND KIMIKO TOO….NOT ONLY THAT, IMAGINE THE HAVOC SHE WOULD UNLEASH UPON SOUL SOCIETY! IF YOU DON'T TRY AND STOP HER NOW...NO ONE MIGHT BE ABLE TO LATER!"

"You….you're right…I'm sorry…Sharpshooter…..for being selfish…"

"It's okay…..I know your body is failing you right now. But trust me, I'll do my utter best to help you through this."

"Alright Sharpshooter, I trust you. Let's give it everything we've got!"

"Grab my hand," Sharpshooter said after which I raised my hand to meet his reach. "We're in this together!"

"Finish her!" Reiko commanded the arrancar. "So long, sis."

As I regained my strength, I stretched out my arm to place a firm grip on the arrancar.

"What!? You still have the strength to do that? I'm really impressed….."

"Keiko….." Toshirou said as he looked intently.

"Sis….." Soi Fon likewise.

I muttered the incantation…

"What are you going on about now?" Reiko said as she raised her eyebrows.

"HADO 199! KYOKOKU KOSEN!" (Kyukoku Kosen ins Japanese for: Ultimate Light Ray)

I opened my eyes and mouth as wide as I could to let the kido escape from my mouth. A brilliant white laser light ray escaped from my mouth with such force that it disintegrated the arrancar upon contact and the shock that resulted sent Reiko flying off the serpent and into the walls of the force-field. Toshirou and Soi Fon were too, tossed several metres backwards.

"What the….." Reiko said as she tried to pick herself up. "Wha…WHAT KIND OF KIDO WAS THAT!?"

"Another hidden technique?" said Toshirou.

"Another….forbidden leveled kido…..your wife sure is something…Hitsugaya taichou…." said Soi Fon.

"WHAT KIDO WAS THAT!? AND HOW DO YOU HAVE SO MUCH ENERGY LEFT!?" asked Reiko in a rather demanding fashion.

"I developed it myself….it's like a shinigamis' version of a cero…..and to be honest….I'm running on empty here…But that…..doesn't mean that I'll…let you have you way…..I'm going to stop you here…..and now…or at least I'm going to die trying…..I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH ANYONE IN SOUL SOCIETY!"

"So you still want to fight huh!? Bring it on!"

"You…..asked for this…"

I turned around as I laid my arm over my belly to try and support myself. I knew that I didn't have long left, but the energy that Sharpshooter had shared with me gave me the strength I needed for one last push. I limped towards the walls of the force-field and stared from across the walls of the force-field…..at my husband…..and the woman whom I had considered to be my sister. They each placed a palm against the walls and I placed my own two palms from my side to match their positions. Some tears escaped my eyes and I couldn't help but to think…..that this might be….the very last time that I would ever meet their gazes…

"Keiko…no…" said my husband as the tears began to stream down the side of his cheek.

"Sis….." Soi Fon said in a similar manner.

They had read my intentions, but I had no other option. With my left palm still on the wall on the force-field, I turned around to meet Reiko's gaze and flipped her the bird with my right middle finger. With my tears still falling…I summoned my ultimate power….

"Ban…kai….."

That's the end for this chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed it and do let me know what you guys think Do stay on as the story approaches its finale


	19. Chapter 19

Hi guys. Do read and I hope you all will like it!

Chapter 19: Goodbye

My reiatsu swirled around me in a vortex like manner with dark clouds gathering as my bankai formed. The thunder roared as lightning flashed brilliantly across the sky before striking the ground in front of me. As the dust cleared, there, was my bankai. The M16 rifle had transformed into a huge Golden Sniper Rifle as a golden coloured cape formed across my back with a mask that covered my left eye, which extended towards my left ear lobe and towards the bridge of my nose.

"Herakuresu Ite…" I said. (Herakuresu Ite is Japanese for: Herculean Marksman)

"So this is Keiko's bankai…" Toshirou said.

"Yeah, but it has evolved," Soi Fon replied.

"What do you mean?"

"You see the 5 white ribbons that extend out from the butt of the rifle?"

"What about them?"

"They weren't there before…when I first saw her bankai all those years ago…"

I saw the look on Reikos' face and she didn't seem at all intimidated.

"A real flashy bankai, don't you think?" Reiko commented.

"I don't care. It gets the job done."

"Hahahahaha, alright then, let's do this!"

I've trained my bankai and it had developed new abilities in the past 100 years or so. It wasn't like the first time I had utilized it. But, I needed to be smart in the way I used it. Holding up the rifle with one hand, without aiming, I took a quick shot, hoping to finish my sister off in one blow. But of course, considering both that I didn't take aim and that Reiko being such a close target so that she could see the shot coming before it was even fired, it was easy for my sister to dodge the bullet. As the bullet hit a nearby tree though, the shockwave that resulted destroyed hundreds of acres of land surrounding the battlefield and my sister was blown back quite a distance from the immense pressure.

"Wow…" Reiko said after recovering. "What sheer power….."

I didn't care for a word she said. I shunpoed in front of her but she read my movements and summoned the serpent to meet me head on. I knocked the serpent away by swinging the butt of my rifle at its head. But as soon as the head of the serpent was destroyed, the particles that formed it had gathered back together and the serpent charged at me once more. I dodged the serpents advance and I landed back on the floor as I tried to figure out a strategy. I had to hurry though. I had no idea how long I could maintain my bankai for and with Reiko's Ha No Ame still active, the cuts on my body were getting deeper and deeper and I was quickly running out of time.

"You can't beat me with a bankai like that," Reiko taunted me.\

"Don't test me."

"You really think that you can win? How adorable."

"I don't think I can. I know I can."

Just as I finished my sentence, Reiko had tried to get the jump on me as she shunpoed in front of me. However, that was what I was hoping she would do. Little did she know that I was waiting for this opportunity to present itself all this while. As she neared me, one of the ribbons from the butt if my rifle shot out and instantly wrapped itself tightly around Reiko's right arm, which made her drop her zanpakuto. However, she was aware enough to grab her zanpakuto as it fell with her left hand before she retreated some distance backwards.

"Bitch!" she yelled. "What the heck did you do?"

"Each ribbon is actually a restraint."

"A restraint?"

"That's right. If a restraint is wrapped around you, it makes you lose mobility of the limb that it is wrapped around. The restraints are automatic. Meaning, that if I choose to shoot one out, it targets the opponents right limbs first, before moving on to the limbs on the left." I neglected to tell her what the fifth ribbon was for on purpose.

"So, what's the last ribbon for?"

"You'll have to find out for yourself," I said with a cocky smile.

"As you wish," Reiko said.

Instead of shunpoing towards me, she summoned the serpent to charge at me. I shunpoed out of the way but it continued to give chase. But, I had a plan. I raced towards Reiko, and as I approached her, ducked out of the way and the serpent didn't react to my movements in time which caused Reiko to take evasive actions as well. Then, while she was distracted, I shot another ribbon out at Reiko and this time, it wrapped around her which had caused Reiko to lose mobility in her right leg and this caused her to retreat once more.

"DAMN IT!" she yelled. "Can't believe I fell for such a simple trick!"

"Serve you right for underestimating me."

As I was about to launch another offensive, I felt my body once again. I fell on all fours once again and began to pant heavily. Blood came out with each cough that I had and it seemed, that I was near my limits….What luck, just when I was gaining the advantage in the fight…

"I don't know why this is happening, but with you in this weakened state,, I don't need all four limbs to beat you," Reiko said as she raised her eyebrows and analysed me.

I raised my head to match her gaze and she gave me a sickening smile.

"HYPER TSUNAMI!" yelled Reiko as she hopped onto the serpents head.

The giant tidal wave came at me and as it gathered speed, I leapt into the air and stayed there to avoid being crushed. However, in my weakened state, Reiko figured out a way to attack and finish me off.

"Hado 177, Ryusei-gun!"

Damn, I was caught. I didn't think about the fact that since Hado 177 was a family kido spell, Reiko could have utilized it as well. As the meteors rained down upon me, I could only use Sharpshooter to try and deflect those that were headed at me. I would have shot them down but with my injuries, I couldn't react in time. I still managed to dodge a few of them but as one closed in on me, I was too tired by this point to avoid it. I held sharpshooter up for protection and the meteor crashed upon the side of my rifle. I held it for as long as I could before my strength gave way and the force sent me crashing into the tidal wave below. The force of the water was even greater than before and the waves smashed onto my body with such impact that in an instant, my entire body began to swell up even more. To make matters worse, some of the water had even entered my lungs which further restricted my breathing.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" laughed Reiko maniacally as the waves finally subsided. "This is…the end of you…."

It looked as if…this truly was…..going to be the end…..I laid on the ground with cuts and bruises all over my body, with blood still oozing out from every wounds. My vision was extremely blurred and I thought I was going to fade away even before Reiko could deliver the coup de grace.

"Goodbye…..sister….." said Reiko as she summoned the serpent to attack me.

No…..not yet….

As the serpent charged towards me, I gathered all my remaining strength for one, sat up against the stump of a tree for one, final push as I help Sharpshooter in front of me.

"Gan…buredo…" (Ganburedo is Japanese for Gunblade)

Then, in the blink of an eye, Sharpshooter had manifested itself into a seemingly different type of weapon. He was now a gunblade, with a golden base that resembled the pistol form that he earlier took before any release, with a blade that extended from the barrel and stretched out for another ten metres which was made up of massive reiatsu that was bright yellow in colour. This had caught Reiko by surprise, and upon the serpent making contact with the blade, the serpent disintegrated into thousands of droplets of water that evaporated instantaneously as a result of the heat generated from the reiatsu blade.

"Wha…..wha….WHAT THE HECK DID YOU JUST DO!?"

"Your bankai…is no more…..Who said…that I didn't have a zanpakuto? When in….ganburedo…..Sharpshooter achieves a zanpakuto form…"

"What!?"

"That's right…and do you see the blade? It's actually…a bullet…that is normally fired from my bankai's rifle…..taking the form of a blade…which explains its huge size because of the…..powerful shot that…..Sharpshooter possesses….."

"DAMN YOU!"

"I don't usually like…..to use it….because its too heavy to wield….for prolonged periods of time…..but….I'm glad that it served me well this time around…"

"AHHHHH!" Reiko yelled in frustration as her composure continued to wane. "DIE!"

She leapt in front of me, attempting to use her weapon to cut me, which would more or less have made me meet my end. Furthermore, I didn't have enough energy to dodge the fast oncoming attack. Heck, I hardly had energy to move from the spot which I was sitting on. Reiko came at me with full force, with a look of fury and determination in her eyes. She was all bent on killing me…In fact, she seemed even more determined than before. But, I had an ace up my sleeve and as Reiko stared me in the eyes, I replied with the widest smile that I could give her. She looked stunned and as I caught her unaware, I shot the last ribbon out at her and it wrapped tightly around her neck. She stopped right in her tracks, and stood there helplessly like a sitting duck.

"Wha….I can't move…..WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO TO ME!?" said Reiko as she struggled her neck about to try and move her body.

"The last…ribbon…..doesn't follow the order….which I described to you earlier…"

"What!?"

"The last ribbon…if I choose to use it…targets the opponents neck upon release…and if successful…..renders everything from the neck down….totally…..and utterly useless…"

As I finished my sentence….multiple masked assassins formed on either side of me, with two on the left, and two on the right, each holding a golden rifle of their own, though theirs was significantly smaller than Sharpshooter.

"What the heck is this!? Reiko said with fear. In fact, this was the only time that she looked afraid throughout the entire fight. "Omnitsukido?"

"No…they're not part of the omnitsukido…they…..and the last ribbon….I use in combination to utilise Sharpshooter's final attack…Itsutsu no Dangan Shawā (Itsutsu no Dangan Shawa is Japanese for Five Bullet Shower)….These assassins…are called the Jusatsu Tai." (Jusatsu Tai is Japanese for Firing Squad)

"Jusatsu…..Tai?"

"That's right. I summon a firing squad..….upon the successful utilization of the last ribbon…..and upon my command…..myself….and the squad…will fire at the opponent with a total of 5 bullets. A perfect combination…..of the ribbons and the firing squad…guarantees….my opponent's death…"

"YOU BITCH! YOU'VE BEEN PLANNING THIS ALL ALONG!"

"Wrong…..I've been hoping all along…I knew that in my current state….my mobility was restricted to a great extent…..which meant that…this was the only way I could have beaten you…I was counting on you to make the mistake…..and because you lost your composure…..you did….."

"Damn you Keiko!"

"Enough of this…Jusatsu Tai….WEAPONS UP!"

"NOOOOOOO!"

"Take aim…."

"STOOOOOPPPP IT!"

"This is for all those years ago…"

"KEIKO!"

"Itsutsu no Dangan Shawa…..and…..FIRE!"

And as I commanded, the firing squad and I fired our weapons at Reiko. Upon contact, her body was obliterated to smithereens and the shockwave generated extended for a substantially long distance. The force-field was shattered as a result of the blast and the forest that we were battling in and a large amount of area, about a thousand or so acres of land, that extended beyond the battlefield was completely destroyed. Toshirou and Soi Fon were blown back a couple of miles as well due to the sheer intensity of my bankai. And of course, in my weakened state, I was blown back a distance too.

"KEIKO!" Toshirou and Soi Fon yelled in unison after they had recovered.

They found my body in a mess. My clothing had nearly been completely torn off to the extent that a rather large portion of my undergarments were revealed. I was battered and bruised all over and the wounds were deeper than before, with blood still pouring out from my body. Soi Fon reached me first, and knelt down and turned me over and help me in her arms, as she found me face flat on the ground, not moving an inch.

"KEIKO!" said Soi Fon as Toshirou finally approached us, with him kneeling down as well.

"KEIKO! KEIKO! SPEAK TO ME!" my husband said as he grabbed me away from Soi Fon and hugged me.

I was too weak now too even speak. As he eased his grip on me, I met my husbands gaze with a look that tried to paint sunshine all over my face. As I looked into his eyes, I could no longer maintain any consciousness and fell into his arms as my eyes closed for one final time.

"Kei…..Keiko?"

"KEEEIIIIIIIIIKKKOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Hitsugaya taichou, quickly! Encase her body in ice! Her temperature is far too high! Her own reiatsu is burning her up!"

"BANKAI! DAIGUREN HYORINMARU!"

"Careful Hitsugaya taichou…"

"RYUUSENKA!"

"Alright. Her entire body is now encased in ice. This should help bring her temperature down…We'll have to bring her back to Seireitei like this…."

"Don't worry Keiko…..You'll be alright…""

That's the end of this chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed it Feel free to let me know what yall think


	20. Chapter 20

Hey guys. Sorry for the delay, but here's the last chapter for this arc!

Chapter 20: New Beginnings

It was the end for me….As Toshirou carried me as I lay inside the ice, I couldn't help but think about all the things that I've done in my life. They said that before you die, your life flashes before your eyes. I can be a testament to that. I recalled running from the hollow inside the cave, the day I was promoted to captain, the day of my marriage, the birth of my children and just before when I battled my own sister…The bliss and misery of it all….

An hour later at Seireitei…..

"UNOHANA TAICHOU!"

"LAY HER ON THE BED! QUICKLY!"

"YES MA'AM! Don't worry Keiko taichou….you're going to be alright…"

"KEIKO!"

"SIS!"

"Hitsugaya taichou…Soi Fon taichou…I'm sorry but I can't let you in….."

"But…"

"I need to focus on her…..I don't want any disruptions…..please understand…"

"Ok…"

"Thank you. I'll call for the both of you when its over…And don't tell Kenta and Kimiko about this…I'm sure that you wouldn't want them to worry….."

"We….understand…."

"Thank you for your cooperation. Don't worry, I'll get Keiko out of this."

Meanwhile…

"Where…..am…I?" I looked around myself to find that I was in a vast, white empty space.

"Keiko! Are you alright?"

I assumed that this strange man was talking to me. After all, we were the only two people here.

"Keiko? Who's that? And who are you?"

"I'm Sharpshooter! Don't you…remember me?"

I scratched my head and shot the man a puzzled look….I didn't know anyone by the name of Sharpshooter.

"I'm sorry, but I don't…..and to be honest, Sharpshooter's a real weird name for a grown man."

"It's just as I feared…"

"Feared? Feared what?" I approached the man and asked what this was all about. He seemed rather distraught about it all and I felt like I needed to comfort him, despite me never having met him before. The man then began telling me stories, about how I was a highly respected Shinigami, saving some place called Seireitei on numerous occasions, thereby preserving the balance of the world.

"What!?" I yelled in utter amusement. "No offence, but that sounds like a load of baloney."

"But it's true!"

"I'm sorry. I really…can't remember any of this…"

"I see…..no, no…..its alright."

I looked away for a split second, in hopes that an exit would materialize. After returning my focus to the man, I realised that he had vanished, and he was o where in sight.

"Hey! Where did you go? Don't leave me alone!"

"Don't worry Keiko, I'm always with you," said the man although he was no were to be seen. And what did he mean by that? That…he would always be with me?

The Next Day….

"Hitsugaya taichou, Soi Fon taichou, please report to the infirmary immediately," announced Unohana.

"So Unohana taichou…how is she?" said Hitsugaya as Soi Fon stood beside him.

"I'm afraid…..she couldn't be saved…"

"No…" said Soi Fon as she immediately turned away to prevent others from watching her fight back the tears, thought the floor was already filled with tiny droplets .

"KEEEEIIIIIIKOOOOOO!" yelled Hitsugaya in anguish as he fell knees to the floor and started pounding it repeatedly with his fists.

"Wait…..I'm not done yet….."

"YOU JUST SAID THAT SHE COUDLNT BE SAVED! WHAT MORE DO YOU HAVE LEFT TO SAY!?"

"I said that she couldn't be saved, I didn't say that she wasn't going to live."

"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?"

"She has lost all shinigami powers, and data scans have suggested that she isn't going to retain much, if not, all, of her memories."

"So….."

"Yes, she wouldn't recognize anyone, including you Htsugaya taichou. Soi Fon taichou, you too."

"So…..what options do we have left?" said Soi Fon, still facing away from the 4th Division Captain.

"Essentially, she's now like a normal human being. She will not survive in Soul Society so for now, our best bet would be to leave her in the human world."

"Then that means…"

"Yes, it's unlikely that anyone would ever see her again….."

"No….."

"Hitsugaya taichou, since you're her husband, I'll leave it to you to decide how you would want her to assimilate her into the world of the living."

"Ok…."

Several Hours Later…..

"You sure….this is where you want to leave her?" Soi Fon said to Hitsugaya.

"Yeah…I'm sure….." the younger captain replied.

"What's this place called again?"

"An orphanage. It's an institution in the real world where people take care of kids without parents and the like….."

"Don't you think that she's a little too old to be considered a kid?"

"Well, maybe, but she can still pull of a teenaged look…..that's what I'm banking on…..and besides, there's no other place that would possibly take her in….."

"I guess you're right…well…..I've already said my goodbyes…..I'll give you a moment…"

As Hitsugaya laid his wife down on the doorsteps of the orphanage, he began to speak.

"Keiko…." Hitsugaya began to speak as the tears already started to fall. "I'm so sorry…..that I couldn't protect you….I want to be with you…but Kenta and Kimiko need me….But…..I won't ever forget you…I'll wait till you return to Soul Society and I will…..find you again…..I promise…Goodbye dear….and…..I love you….."

With that, as the rain poured down, Hitsugaya and Soi Fon turned around to enter the senkaimon to return to Soul Society, ever unlikely to see their loved one ever again.

The Next Day…..

I opened my eyes to find myself lying on a bed. I had no idea where I was…..or who I was. I remembered the rain, someone's voice talking to me, though I didn't recognize to whom it belonged to. I wanted to get up and walk around, but the warm cozy bed had me in its grasp. For some reason, my body was aching all over, and I needed the rest.

"Oh…you're up!"

"Uh…yeah….hi."

"Hello!" this woman said with the widest of smiles. "Can you tell me, what's your name?"

"My name….its…..I don't remember…"

"Oh no…do you remember how you got here?"

"No….not a clue….."

"I see. Well, you're at an orphanage."

"Orphanage?"

"Yeah. You know….where we take care of young kids without a home?"

I remained silent….

"Wow. You really do have a bad case of memory loss."

"I guess I do," I slanted my head to the side in embarrassment.

"Unfortunately, you're a little too old to be treated like one of the kids….."

"So….I'll have to leave?"

"Hahaha. Don't worry your pretty little head about it. My husband and I have already agreed to take you in as our helper. We'll pay you to help around the place. We can't just abandon someone in need now, can we?"

"Wow…thank you…"

"Don't mention it…..now…..do you think that you can walk? I need to show you around the place."

"Yeah….I think I can….."

"Alright, let's go!"

And so….began my life…..or new life….I wasn't entirely sure of what to call it yet on account of my memory loss….I wonder…..what the future had in store for me. I couldn't wait! With such nice people looking after me…..I was sure though…that I would be in good hands.

1 Year Later…

"Hitsugaya taichou," Kurotsuchi Mayuri said. "I have…something for you."

"Can it wait? I'm about to go see her…"

"I know. But, your wife, asked me to deliver this message to you."

"What!? When?"

"Just before her battle with Reiko."

"Why didn't she tell me this at the time!?"

"She said that…..she wouldn't know how you would react….Could you just watch this video message already? Nemu and I have to get started on something else."

"O…..ok….."

Taking the video file from Kurotsuchi Mayuri, Hitsugaya Toshirou went back to his private quarters, before instructing his Vice-Captain to play the video.

"Matsumoto…..please….."

"Yes taichou."

As the video began to play, Keiko appeared on the screen.

"Hi dear. If you're watching this," Keiko began to speak. "It would mean that I probably…won't be around anymore. "

"Listen," Keiko sighed as she paced up and down her room.

"I've…remembered….. I don't think that…..you would want to see me…..after what I tell you."

"Keiko…..what are you talking about?" Hitsugaya said to himself as his face showed nothing but utter confusion.

"That's the reason I handed this video file over to Kurotsuchi, instructing him to let you see it, only if I were gone, since it only seems fair for you to know the truth. If I were still around, I would have continued living….with some deep dark secrets…and my relationship with you would never be the same…..I don't think that I could handle that…so….forgive me for this selfishness of mine…Anyways…..here it is…..the truth…"

At this point in the video, Keiko began to tear as she fell on her knees, while Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, in real time, began to watch the video play more intently with their eyes seemingly glued to the screen.

"Reiko is able to manipulate and control hollows…..because….our parents…worked with Aizen…for a point in time…"

"WHAT!?" yelled in shock.

"My parents…..I never knew it at the time since I was so young….but after becoming a shinigami and meeting Reiko again, it was then that I realised…..that my parents weren't exactly good people…..They helped Aizen to develop his Hougyouku and other hollow controlling gadgets, and I…was the first test subject of the Hougyoku. I'm a ticking time bomb….not ever sure if the hollow inside me will ever gain control….."

"No…." Hitsugaya said with sadness as his eyes became watery.

"However, my parents were hesitant to let Aizen try it out on me…..and since Aizen seemed to favour Reiko, I believe that Aizen would try to convince Reiko to get rid of them and if I did die along with my parents, no harm would be done since…..he considered me a failure…"

Keiko, at this point in the video, was a fountain of tears, realizing that her whole life had been one great lie. She thought that she didn't deserve the happiness, the love…since she knew was potentially an enemy of Soul Society….

"Anyways…..dear…..is it still ok if I call you that? If I die…..the hollow…..probably would take control of me…..and if for some reason you still want to find me….I'll be in Heuco Mundo…I guess that's all I have left…..I know you'll probably hate me for this…..and I don't blame you…so…..goodbye…..Hitsugaya Toshirou…."

At this, the video ended as the screen became a pitch black colour. Hitsugaya was trying to comprehend the complexity of it all…a mixture of sadness an anger on his face as he scrambled his brain to sort things out.

"Taichou…if that's the case…..we should head back to the orphanage immediately! If what Keiko said is true….those people would be in danger!"

"You're…..you're right…..make requests for out limiters to lifted…we may have a serious fight on our hands….."

"Yes sir!"

With preparations made, Hitsugaya and Matsumoto headed off to the real world….

In the Human World….

The captain and vice-captain of the 10th division made haste for the orphanage where Keiko was supposedly at. However, what transpired left them in shock.

Realising that the Orphanage was no longer where it once stood, the two shinigamis shifted into their gigais to obtain information from the humans.

"Excuse ma'am," Hitsugaya said. "What happened to the orphanage that was previously here?"

"Young Sir, didn't you hear? The building collapsed about 10 months ago, and investigators couldn't find out any reason for the sudden structural damage. Everyone…died…"

"Oh…..I see….thank you for your time…."

"Taichou,"Matsumoto began to speak. "Are you….going to go after her?"

"You already know I am…..and don't think that you can….."

"I won't. You go…..do what you have to do…"

"Thanks Matsumoto…"

"Just take care ok?"

"I will."

With that, the two shinigamis headed their own ways, with Matsumoto heading back to Seireitei as Hitsugaya left in search for his wife. The captain had no idea what got over him, but one thing was for sure. He had a score to settle with his wife. With the aid of Urahara Kisuke, Hitsugaya made his way into Hueco Mundo, and spent his time travelling the vast emptiness of the world of the hollows, in attempts to find his wife and do what was right. But after what seemed for like a hundred years, Hitsugaya still hadn't found her. So…where was the former captain of the 3rd Division? Only time would tell….

So this is the end! For all who have been reading, I thank you I'm leaving the story to end like this here for now, and though it might seem abrupt, it is because I am considering writing a final arc for this story. I may not even write it, but I do want to keep my options open. So….sorry for the unprofessionalism here But if the story does continue, I do hope that you guys would continue reading!


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